


Through the Narrow Gate

by fadinglight123



Series: Not Saints, But Seekers 'verse [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: Jedi Apprentice Series - Jude Watson & Dave Wolverton
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blanket Permission, Canon-Typical Violence, Everyone Needs A Hug, Gen, I will get all these characters therapy so help me, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Mandalorian Obi-Wan Kenobi, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Past Torture, Podfic Welcome, Pre-Relationship, Slow Burn, not qui-gon jinn friendly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:28:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 41,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25911346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fadinglight123/pseuds/fadinglight123
Summary: "I crawled out the window and ran into the woods. I had to make up all the words myself. The way they taste, the way they sound in the air. I passed through the narrow gate, stumbled in, stumbled around for a while, and stumbled back out. I made this place for you. A place for you to love me. If this isn’t a kingdom then I don’t know what is.”-Richard SikenIn which the Force loves Obi-Wan, and guides him on to a different path when he's left on Bandomeer.
Relationships: Jango Fett & Jaster Mereel, Jango Fett & Myles (Star Wars), Jango Fett/Obi-Wan Kenobi, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Myles (Star Wars), Obi-Wan Kenobi & Original Character(s), Pre Jango Fett/Obi-Wan Kenobi
Series: Not Saints, But Seekers 'verse [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1880494
Comments: 289
Kudos: 1640
Collections: Anything But Qui-Gon, Favorite Rereads, Jedi Journals





	1. the ever-branching tree of fate

**Author's Note:**

> Massive shoutout to the Sunflare Discord server for dragging me even deeper into this fandom and providing lots of encouragement as I pulled this together. 
> 
> Specific shoutout to [fenn-ele](https://fenn-ele.tumblr.com/) and [nerdytransguy](https://nerdytransguy.tumblr.com/) for basically being sounding boards as I slowly pieced the outline of this thing together. 
> 
> And a _huge_ thank you to [Cuzosu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cuzosu/pseuds/Cuzosu) for beta-ing and being super pumped and getting me excited to post this first chapter.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there are many paths Obi-Wan Kenobi's life could take. The Force offers him a new one.

**_Reformation Year 956, 7933 C.R.C_ **

Obi-Wan opened his eyes to the gentle light filtering through the Room of a Thousand Fountains. The feeling of peace and connection swirling around him soothed him, wrapping around his mind like a warm blanket.   
  


He was sitting high in the gardens, underneath a twisting tree covered in moss. The sound of rushing water and gentle wind filled the space around him, rustling through his short, spiky hair. For a moment, Obi-Wan closed his eyes and basked in the feeling of Light flowing through the Force around him. He hadn’t felt such connection since- since-  
  


He was interrupted from following that thought by a throat clearing next to him.   
  


Opening his eyes, he found Grand Master Yoda sitting cross-legged beside him. He hadn’t even felt his approach in the Force. He knew that this was significant, that he should be bowing in respect; but Obi-Wan only hummed, smiling peacefully at the wizened Master of the Order. There was such a feeling of comfort in the air, a heaviness in his limbs that left him feeling relaxed and hazy.   
  


Master Yoda hummed thoughtfully. “Feel at peace here, you do, hmmm?”  
  


“Yes, Grand Master. More than anywhere I’ve ever been,” Obi-Wan replied. It was the truth. The Room of a Thousand Fountains had a way of calming him, no matter what had happened in his classes or in the crèche.   
  


“Hmmm. And yet so little, you have seen. Out there, many places that you have yet to find. More there is for you to discover. Beyond the Temple, you must go to discover it.”   
  


Obi-Wan blinked. He felt his own misgivings rise, though the Force around him rang with truth. Something though...something about this felt off. No matter how he chased that sensation he couldn’t shake the fuzziness that seemed to surround him.   
  


“But Master Yoda, I belong in the Temple. I belong with the Jedi.”   
  


The green figure shook his head. “A Jedi in another life, perhaps you were meant to be. But more to your path, there is in this one. Not meant for the Order in this life, you are.”   
  


No amount of soothing from the Force could halt the confusion and pain that that denial caused.   
  


“No! Master Yoda, please, I-”   
  


**_l i s t e n_ ** , came a call from around him. **_l i s t e n._ **The Force rippled insistently, washing over him and stealing the breath from his chest.   
  


“Hmmm,” Master Yoda looked at him, a sad glint in his eyes. “More than one path you may take. A new path, you may yet find. A new path placed before you, there will soon be.”   
  


The old Master rose to his feet before Obi-Wan with a grace that belied his age. Reaching out, he placed a clawed hand gently on Obi-Wan’s head.   
  


**“Take h e a r t, young one,”** he said, his voice echoing around them as if multiple people had spoken at once. He no longer sounded like Master Yoda, the familiarity gone. The Room of a Thousand Fountains blurred and warped into a blur of colors and Light and Shadow all around him but Obi-Wan could only sit frozen and stare at the form of the Jedi before him as it slowly warped into something Other. **“Trust in u s . W e will not guide you astray.”  
  
**

**_c h a n g e ,_ ** came the whispers again. They echoed around and throughout him, crescendoing into a shout. **_C H A N G E . . ._  
  
**

“Change _what?”_ he shouted, clutching at his head as the chorus grew in strength.   
  


The pressure he felt building suddenly eased and the waves of gentle comfort returned and surrounded him instead. As if the Force could sense his fear and confusion. But even as he calmed his breathing, he could feel his sense of the Force flickering. Obi-Wan tried desperately to hold on to it, drawing comfort and stability from its presence.   
  


**_t r u s t_ ** the whispers pleaded, tendrils clinging to his mind insistently. **_y o u m u s t t r u s t_  
  
**

“I do,” Obi-Wan whispered. “I do trust in the Force.” And he meant it. So Obi-Wan took a chance. He opened his mind, lowering the shields and inviting the Force to come seeping in.   
  


He could feel it cooing at him, sinking into the openings he offered. **_s h o w . . ._ ** The whispers felt more and more muffled now, as if something was slowly choking them. **p a t h . . .  
  
**

Obi-Wan felt one last great surge of the Force in his mind before the world around him whited out and a new vision took him. 

_All he could process were flashes._

_The images were going by too quickly for him to get more than impressions,_

_blurred around the edges as they were._

_It was like looking through a holocamm that hadn’t been calibrated in too long._

_He saw a sprawling city spread out on a planet that was otherwise desert._

_People of many species wandering about in various states of armor._

_A feeling of_ **_safety_ ** _and_ **_community_ ** _and_ **_belonging_** _._

_There were children running chasing each other around a training hall, their laughter ringing._

_He saw three teenagers in armor and helmets, holding on to each other._

_He saw a domed city, the world beyond it a barren waste, even as life continued within._

_There was a dark-haired human man, one of the teenagers from before._

_His skin was brown, darkened from time in the sun, with small scars curling across his face._

_He was beautiful. The Force curled around him and whispered **l**_ **_ove._ **

_Another of the teenagers from before, this time accompanied by two other armored warriors._

_The teen, a human boy with kinky auburn hair and a crooked grin, radiated_ **_loyalty._ **

_The two figures behind him were blurrier. But together they felt like a bedrock of_ **_support._ **

_Obi-Wan looked at them and could only think of_ ** _family._ **

_His vision shifted a final time, the entire thing blurry as if being viewed through water._

_There was another armored warrior, standing in front of him._

_They held their hand out, offering it to him._

**_c h a n g e_ ** the Force whispered, sounding very far away now. **_s o o n_ ** came its voice a final time before his vision went dark. _  
_

* * *

**Bandomeer, Outer Rim Region, on a deepsea mining rig**

Obi-Wan jolted awake as the doors to the sleeping quarters slammed open and the guards started moving through the rows of bunks, forcefully waking his fellow prisoners.   
  


For a moment he could barely breathe, staring unseeing at the room around him.   
  


He had been dreaming. Back in the Temple, surrounded by the Force and the gently burning Light of other Jedi. And then...it had spoken to him, shown him a vision. Obi-Wan hadn’t felt the Force in months. Not since he’d been brought to the mining rig and had Force suppressant cuffs forced on his wrists. No matter how hard he’d reached out, no matter how he’d tried to meditate any chance he got at first, he hadn’t been able to feel a thing this whole time. 

What could it possibly mean that he’d finally been able to feel the Force _now?_ Even if only in his sleep.   
  


The sound of a guard rattling an electro-staff threateningly made him flinch out of his frozen state.   
  


“You,” he ordered, gruffly. “Get up and get in line with the others.”   
  


Obi-Wan obeyed, rising shakily and keeping his eyes lowered.   
  


Later. He’d have to puzzle over his dream-vision later.   
  


_If I survive the day_ , he couldn’t help but think. But somehow, he felt a small swell of hope begin to bubble in his chest.   
  


He moved out of the barracks with the other slaves, the Force’s last promise from his dream echoing in his head.

_Soon…_

* * *

**Keldabe, Mandalore, in a small conference room**

Cassony frowned thoughtfully as the blue-tinged form of the woman who’d contacted them blinked out as the holocall ended. On the surface, there was nothing too unusual about this job. Hells, if Jaster approved it, and she couldn’t see any reason why he wouldn’t, it’d actually be one of the more straightforward ops they’d run in a while.   
  


The Offworld Corp. had been running the vast majority of the mining operations on Bandomeer for at least a decade. With the native Meerians and the Arconans banding together to run a cooperative mine, tensions between the Bandomeerian government and the company were high. Cassony didn’t doubt that Offworld had done everything in its power to try and limit the growth and success of this new competition. She couldn’t help but curl her lip as the tactics the _hut’uune [1] _had used were described.  
  


So it was no great surprise that one of the representatives of the mine, a human woman by the name of Clat’ha, had approached the _Haat Mando’ade[2], _ for assistance disrupting the operations of Offworld on Bandomeer in return. Certainly bold, and more underhanded than Cassony would have expected from these people, but a very savvy move too. The good reputation they’d earned since Jaster’s reforms meant they were getting more and more calls like this one, people seeking mercenary aid for honorable causes other than killing and bounty hunting.   
  


The _Haat’ade[3] _ would be particularly suited for the job, and with the conduct that Clat’ha had documented and shared with them, she was certain she wouldn’t be the only one almost eager to take Offworld down a peg or two.   
  


She couldn’t help but feel something...significant about this though. And Cassony had long-since learned to listen when her instincts told her to pay attention to something.   
  


As the other _ ramikad’e [4] _discussed the pros and cons of the job and began making discussing possible strategies for who to send and how to approach their various targets, Cassony turned her attention to the list of targets, skimming through the basic information provided about them.   
  


After a minute, one of them caught her eye, a familiar echo sounding in her mind.   
  


She narrowed her golden eyes as she read through the rundown on this target, making a noise of acknowledgment when she heard Jaster step up next to her and clear his throat to ask for her attention.   
  


“Anything sticking out as bad news?” he asked. He was well-accustomed to her having a particular knack for spotting jobs that would go KUBAR.   
  


“Not bad,” she mused. “But there’s something about this one…” She offered her datapad to Jaster, watching as he skimmed over the information available as she had. She knew the exact moment he saw what she had.   
  


“A slave operation?” Jaster hissed, a scowl crossing his face.   
  


Cassony nodded. “I don’t like it either. I vote we destroy _that_ target with prejudice.” She furrowed her brow. “At first glance, there isn’t a whole lot of strategic value in disrupting it, but...I can’t explain, but it’s significant, somehow.”   
  


Jaster hummed thoughtfully, scowl still in place. “I’ll leave leading the team that hits it to you, then. Assuming you’re planning on taking this one?”   
  


She nodded again. “It’s my turn. _Min’ika_ is staying behind to mind Myles this time around.”   
  


Jaster nodded, a small smile flickering across his face at the mention of her son. He opened his mouth to continue when one of the other _ Mando’ade [5] _ called for Jaster’s attention. He grimaced, clasping her shoulder.   
  


“You’ve got lead on the deepsea mine. Let me know if you need anything for whatever plan you come up with. Make sure you plan to have enough transport room to get as many of the slaves off that rig as possible.”   
  


_“Elek, Mand’alor.”[6] _ She turned her attention back to the datapad, already focusing on how she was going to approach this target.   
  


Whatever about this was catching her attention, she’d find in due time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Mando'a Translations**
> 
> 1 _hut'uune-_ cowards[return to text]
> 
> 2 _Haat Mando'ade-_ True Mandalorians (lit. true children of Mandalore)[return to text]
> 
> 3 _Haat'ade-_ True children; nickname for the True Mandalorians[return to text]
> 
> 4 _rami'kade-_ supercommandos; Mandalorian soldiers and warriors[return to text]
> 
> 5 _Mando'ade-_ Mandalorians (lit. children of Mandalore)[return to text]
> 
> 6 _"Elek, Mand'alor"-_ "Yes, my leader"; acknowledgement of orders from the ultimate ruler of Mandalore. [return to text]
> 
> Don't ask me what the exact timeline is for this, I don't have a good answer yet. I'll try to make changes to the timeline clear in the story. One major thing that's important to know is that events specifically involving Mandalorians have been moved up about a decade. So instead of Galidraan happening at about the same time that Obi-Wan is sent to Bandomeer, it won't (theoretically) happen for about a decade. 
> 
> I'm hoping to keep to an update schedule of every 2 weeks, but I can't guarantee how regular that schedule will be once classes start. 
> 
> I'm [fadinglight123](https://fadinglight123.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr. Come scream about Star Wars with me.


	2. breaking the chains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Obi-Wan does his best to survive to see his future. 
> 
> Meanwhile, the Mandalorians prepare their assault on the mining rig.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to [nerdytransguy](https://nerdytransguy.tumblr.com/) and [Cuzosu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cuzosu/pseuds/Cuzosu) for beta-ing.

_Reformation Year 956, 7933 C.R.C_

**Bandomeer, Outer Rim Region, on a deepsea mining rig**

Obi-Wan bit his lip hard enough to draw blood as the jab from the electro-staff sent him to his knees. The impact jostled his injuries from Xanatos’s latest visit. He knew better than to scream by now, though. To cry out invited more punishment. Weakness would not be tolerated. Even as the fall jarred his ribs and knocked the breath from his lungs, he didn’t make a sound. He knew better by now.   
  


He’d tried fighting, at first. He spent the first 2 or 3 days he’d been stuck there insisting that he didn’t belong there, that what was happening, to him and the others on the rig, was _wrong._ He’d endured the jabs and the shocks, the taunts from the guards and the apathy, the _pity_ , of the others as they watched him futilely try to fight back.   
  


Then, Xanatos showed up.   
  


The young man had swept on to the rig and taken every hope he’d been holding on to about escaping or being released with him when he left.   
  


The cuffs around his wrists seemed to burn for a moment at the thought of the former Jedi, all the aches and pains he’d inflicted on his last visit lighting up in agony both fresh and remembered as he rose to his feet, eyes carefully lowered. It hadn’t taken long for him to stop fighting, not after Xanatos got ahold of him. Surviving became more important, and the guards would take even a hint of insubordination as an excuse for a beating.  
  


The guard who’d jabbed him, a tall human man, sneered, swinging his shock-baton in a few threatening arcs. In spite of himself, Obi-Wan couldn’t quite stop the way he instinctively curled away from it. Instantly, he knew he had made a mistake. Fighting back was no longer an option, but he’d drawn enough attention from the guards at first that they now delighted in tormenting him, looking for any crack in his mask. Signs of weakness, pleading for mercy or crying out in pain, were an invitation to more cruelty. And he’d just given this one exactly what he wanted.  
  
  
Obi-Wan braced himself as the guard reared his arm back again, but before the blow could land, there was a loud bang followed by shouts further down the tunnel.   
  


The guard cursed viciously, dropping his arm mid-swing as he started rushing over to join the other guards in investigating.   
  


“Get back to work,” he snarled as he left.  
  


Obi-Wan quickly returned to his task, keeping his head down. He kept his breathing deliberately even, ignoring the way his hands shook. Phantom spasms from the shocks. They’d pass. He’d make it through this. He had to. He’d survived months here, scraping by on luck and willpower and the good sense to know when to duck his head and look away for his own safety. He could survive a bit longer.   
  


He would.  
  


It had been 3 days since his vision. Since the Force promised him...something. Hope. A path forward. He hadn’t been able to sense a single thing since then, not even a whisper. The cuffs were working as well as they had since they’d been placed on him. He’d strained all through the first day, searching for whatever flaw had allowed the Force to pierce through the block the cuffs forced on his connection to it. He hadn’t found anything, hadn’t been able to feel so much as a whisper.   
  


Even his dreams had been silent. He’d slipped into sleep that first night hoping for something more, a hint of how much longer he had to hold out for, or even just a taste of that sense of connection and comfort he’d felt when the Force had come to him the night before. But he’d felt nothing, only the dreamless sleep of the deeply exhausted.   
  


He was clinging to his faith in the Force, to the promise he’d felt that this was almost over.  
  


He had to believe it was almost over.  
  


“Someday your luck is going to run out.”   
  


Obi-Wan glanced over at SaarNa, offering the Meerian a weak grin.   
  


“It hasn’t yet.”   
  


Xe sniffed. “Keep pushing, and it will. You’re not safe just because the boss man likes to beat you himself.”   
  


Obi-Wan flinched at the mention of Xanatos and his attentions.   
  


He couldn’t blame SaarNa for xir briskness. It was hard to trust anyone on the rig. Harder still to show any compassion, to feel anything akin to friendship with fellow slaves. Not when anyone of them could be dead in the blink of an eye. He’d seen people who’d been there for years die just as suddenly and easily as people in their first few days. Just by still being alive after 6 months on the rig, he’d survived longer than a hefty number of the others. SaarNa’s words were blunt, but it was the only kind of concern shown around here.  
  


“I’ll keep that in mind,” he murmured.   
  


“See that you do,” xe grumbled.  
  


Without another word, they both focused back on their work. 

* * *

**Bandomeer, Outer Rim Region, aboard a Mandalorian dropship**

Cassony glared down at the holotable. They’d arrived on Bandomeer a day ago. Cassony had insisted that they do a day of recon on the rig before striking. It was important they had as much information as possible before striking. They could get all the slaves killed if they weren’t careful.   
  


Her people had followed the orders, though there had been a bit of angry muttering. Not that she blamed them for it. Cassony had had to grit her teeth against the urge to just strike then and there when the reports started rolling in about the treatment happening down there. But she’d long-since learned to listen when she got premonitions, and the other _Haat’ade_ had learned to listen too. And somehow, she knew that she needed to be patient here.   
  


It would do no good to endanger the people trapped down in the mines by assaulting the rig at the wrong moment.   
  


And whatever (or, more likely, _whomever_ ) she was meant to find here would still be down there when it was all through.   
  


And she had only grown more certain that she was meant to find something here. The longer they spent observing the rig, the stronger that feeling of anticipation grew.   
  


She’d always had a stronger predilection for premonitions than most of her peers. It had taken years to learn how to interpret and follow the guidance that foresight gave her. And she’d never felt anything as insistent as the sensation she felt drawing her down to the rig. Whatever was down there was important, somehow.   
  


The _Manda [1]_ was guiding her, guiding all of them. She would trust in it.  
  
  
_“Cas’ika,” [2]_ Tono, her second for the mission, called for her attention. “Maybe an hour to go, if they stick to the same schedule. The scouts have all returned from their last recon runs.”

  
“ _Jate. [3]_ Tell everyone to suit up and get ready to drop. I’ll tell Mosori to get us in position.” She paused, a thought suddenly ringing to the front of her mind. “We know they have collars. What are the odds they’re rigged to blow?”   
  


Tono paused, an expression of disgust flickering across his face. “Based on what we’ve already seen? I wouldn’t be surprised.”   
  


“Neither would I…” she looked at the holomap of the facility, brows furrowing. “They wouldn’t keep the transmitter for something like that on-site. Too much risk of a particularly gutsy prisoner to get a hold of it...but it would need to be close enough that they could still have the signal reach the rig.” She pulled up the map of the planet, scanning the area surrounding the rig as she slowly zoomed out. Eventually, her eyes caught on something and she bared her teeth. “Have a small team get ready and depart back for the mainland. Ilvokk and Zulia, maybe. Have them search Bandor, focusing on the docks. We don’t strike until they find it. If that means we have to delay the plan, so be it. I’m not risking innocents out of haste.”  
  


_“Elek, alor.” [4]  
  
_

She let her gaze flick to the holotable one more time before picking up her _buy’ce [5]_ and moving towards the cockpit to speak with the pilot.   
  


It was almost time. 

* * *

**on the mining rig**

Obi-Wan poked at the slop on his plate, staring blankly at it.   
  


He was exhausted and hungry, but he couldn’t find the energy to try eating, no matter how much he needed to keep up his strength.   
  


“Are you going to eat that, Obawan?” came a voice from his left.   
  


“Yes, Guerra,” he sighed, slowly lifting his head to glance at the Phindian before turning his attention back to his food. It truly looked incredibly unappetizing, but that had been the case he got here.   
  


SaarNa scoffed. “Better hurry up, or someone might take it from you.”   
  


“No one would want to steal Obawan’s food. Not so! We are all hungry here. Eat, Obawan, or pass it along to someone else who will.”   
  


Obi-Wan exhaled, sending his two companions a weak smile. He started shoveling the goop into his mouth, barely even grimacing at the taste. He paused in reluctantly devouring his meal when he felt the rig suddenly vibrate beneath him for a moment.   
  


“Did you feel that?” he asked the other two.   
  


“Feel what?”   
  


“The shaking! It felt like the entire thing was vibrating for a moment!”   
  


“Perhaps it is someone come to blow this place to little bits.” Guerra paused. “Not so! It always shakes, Obawan. The ocean shakes it back and forth all day. You know this!”   
  


Obi-Wan shook his head, frustrated. “It was _different,_ Guerra! I swear-” He was cut off when the rig shook again, stronger this time. This time, it was enough to jostle everyone around them, nearly knocking some of the guards milling about off their feet. “....it was like _that_.”   
  


Obi-Wan stood slowly, craning his neck to look around as the other slaves started murmuring to each other in hushed voices. The guards were shouting at each other and into their comm units. He started to take a careful step forward to investigate when the unmistakable sound of an explosion rocked the rig, stronger this time than either time before. Obi-Wan was thrown off his feet, barely managing to catch himself.   
  


He scrambled into a crouch as everyone began shouting. The guards were scrambling to their feet, already brandishing their electro-staffs and barking orders and threats. They could barely be heard over the panicked yells of the other slaves. He was so preoccupied shrinking away from the guards and trying to figure out what was going on that he almost missed it.  
  


His collar had stopped vibrating.   
  


Suddenly, there was the unmistakable sound of blasterfire and what sounded like small rockets being fired up.   
  


The crowd of people surged, frightened shouts and angry cursing filling the air and riling everyone up further as the slaves started to scatter and duck away from the exposed platform in spite of the guards orders to stay where they were.  
  


Obi-Wan grabbed Guerra and SaarNa, pulling them back and a bit out of the way, pressing his hands against their collars, searching for the telltale buzz that meant they were active and finding none.   
  


“Obi-Wan, what are-”   
  


He shushed SaarNa, watching as most of the guards ran in the direction of the blasterfire and explosions.   
  


“Follow me,” he hissed at them.  
  


“Where are we going?”   
  


“Away from here.” He grinned fiercely at them. “I think we might be getting off this hellhole.”   
  


The chaos and confusion around them ramped up again as a ship came screaming into view, buzzing the facility. It swung around to face the platform, guns clearly whirring to life and taking aim, though it wasn’t firing yet. It started circling the rig, as if looking for a target. The remaining guards stood frozen, staring at the ship. They began frantically pointing and yelling into their comms as the doors opened and a figure in armor stepped into view before _leaping_ out. A jetpack on their back carried them closer to the rig. Obi-Wan stared as more figures followed the first.   
  


“Obawan, what’s going-” He turned back to face his companions.  
  


“I don’t know. But I’ve got a good feeling. Now, _come on!”_   
  


The Phindian and Meerian exchanged glances but followed him without another word. 

* * *

Things were going about as smoothly as they could hope. Ilvokk had commed just ahead of when they’d originally planned to strike, confirming that they’d found and crushed the transmitters and burned the place where the guards had been keeping them to the ground. She’d sighed in relief at the fact that they wouldn’t have to push the assault back another day. The feeling drawing her to the rig had only intensified as the clock ticked down towards their planned window of opportunity, and she hadn’t enjoyed the prospect of pushing it back another day.  
  


They’d waited patiently, flying high enough above the rig that they were comfortably out of sight, using their own thermal scans to watch for the miners coming back up to the surface, just as they had the day before. As soon as they detected the movement that indicated their return, she’d given the order to start the assault. She and about half of the dozen _ramikad’e [6]_she’d brought along had jumped out of the dropship, using their jetpacks to fly low, skimming the surface of the ocean as they made their way closer to the facility.   
  


Creeping along the lower levels to plant the small explosives had been far easier than she’d expected. They’d only had to deal with a few small guard patrols, and they’d been ridiculously easy to take out without raising an alarm.   
  


They regrouped, confirming that the rest of their squad was ready to go. Cassony grinned viciously as she gave the order to start the countdowns on the explosives and they all split up to cover different parts of the rig.   
  


_“Oya!” [7]_ She called over the internal comms, reveling in the call echoing back to her from her _verd’e.  
  
_

It was time for the real fun to begin.

* * *

Things had been going so well.   
  


The three of them had managed to slip away from the mess, moving quietly through the open-air corridors and winding around through the facility. He’d been aiming to take a circuitous route down towards the lower levels, avoiding the fighting as much as possible. He knew there was a boat down there, used to let the guards leave the rig and go back to the mainland when they had days off.   
  


It was normally kept under guard, even with the threat of the collars, but he’d been banking on all the guards running towards the sounds of battle and leaving the way clear for them.  
  


They’d managed to dodge several patrols running past them so far, picking up a few other slaves who’d had a similar idea along the way. Everything had been going so smoothly. Really, Obi-Wan should have expected something to go wrong at this point. And yet, he still found himself caught off guard when they’d rounded a corner and nearly ran face-first into a small group of guards headed in the opposite direction as them.   
  


The one in front, whom he’d nearly bowled over in his haste, gave a shout and swung his staff, electricity crackling. Obi-Wan ducked out of the way instinctively, wheeling his arms as he desperately backed up to try and put space between them.   
  


“Scatter!” He shouted to the group behind him, eyes locked on the guards’ weapons as he frantically dodged their onslaught. He had limited options here. The corridor was narrow enough that he didn’t have the space to truly get away from them with the others at his back. He was unarmed, and while the collar was no longer a threat keeping him in line, the cuffs were still functioning perfectly well and he was under no illusions about his current condition. He was in no shape for a drawn out fight against three guards who all outweighed him by a significant margin, and even if he were, Obi-Wan wasn’t sure he’d be capable of beating these people into submission.   
  


Out of the corner of his eye, he saw SaarNa use xir diminutive stature to xir advantage and scamper between the legs of a guard before disappearing further down the hall.   
  


Seeing an opening, he darted forward and to the side, kicking at the back of a guard’s knee as he went and knocking him to the ground. He didn’t slow down, darting between two other guards and sprinting in a random direction.   
  


“After him!” he heard shouted behind him, followed by the sound of several people giving chase.   
  


Cursing furiously, he pushed his aching limbs to move faster. Not so long ago, he would have been able to keep this pace for ages without tiring. But he didn’t have the Force to bolster him now and he was quickly fading in his weakened state.   
  


He could only hope he bought enough time for the others to get away.   
  


Panting, he skidded around another corner only to stumble to a halt, finding himself out on a dead end, a small platform jutting out over the sea before him. Cursing himself for not paying more attention, he turned, hoping to slip back and go another way only for the guards to come storming around the corner after him.  
  


“Nowhere to run now, you little shit!” One of them sneered. They began advancing on him, batons held threateningly.  
  


Obi-Wan backed up slowly, keeping himself out of range of the almost lazy swings the guards were making. Glancing behind himself, he eyed the slowly decreasing gap between himself and the edge, mind racing.   
  


His lack of focus cost him. One of the guards closed the distance faster than he could dodge away. The darting blow barely caught him in the side of his ribs, but the shock combined with the pain of his pre-existing injuries sent him to his knees with a shout. He scrambled backwards as best he could as the guard stalked forward with a sneer, raising his baton above his head and preparing to bring it crashing down.   
  


Just as Obi-Wan raised his arms to try and protect his face and closed his eyes, he heard the distinct sound of jetpack thrusters flaring and the unmistakable sound of a blaster bolt hitting its mark.   
  


He opened his eyes as the guard who’d been about to strike slumped to the side. Two more blaster bolts followed with pinpoint precision, eliminating the other two.   
  


Obi-Wan slowly rose to his feet, turning as an armored figure landed a few feet away from him.   
  


He paled as he suddenly realized he recognized that armor style as the Mandalorian in front of him starting moving towards him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Mando'a Translations**
> 
> 1 _Manda_ \- the collective soul of Mandalore; the state of being Mandalorian in mind, body, and spirit; Mandalorian afterlife; essentially analogous to the Force[return to text]
> 
> 2 _Cas'ika_ \- dimunitive form of Cassony, affectionate nickname used between friends and family[return to text]
> 
> 3 _Jate_ \- good[return to text]
> 
> 4 _"Elek, alor!"_ \- "Yes, sir!"- good[return to text]
> 
> 5 _buy'ce_ \- helmet[return to text]
> 
> 6 _ramikad'e_ \- commandos; Mandalorian soldiers[return to text]
> 
> 7 _Oya!_ \- lit. "Let's hunt!", but many translations including "Hooray!", "Go you!", etc; a jubilant rallying cry[return to text]
> 
> So this chapter fought me a little bit in the drafting process, but it took less time to actually finish writing it than I expected. So you get an update a week early. 
> 
> Come scream with me on [Tumblr](https://fadinglight123.tumblr.com/).


	3. stumbling blindly forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Cassony makes an offer and Obi-Wan makes a choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know how I said the last chapter fought me? I was wrong. _This_ chapter fought me. Sorry for the later update, I'll try to get back on track for the week after next. 
> 
> Thanks as always to [Cuzosu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cuzosu/pseuds/Cuzosu) and [nerdytransguy](https://nerdytransguy.tumblr.com/) for beta-ing and letting me vent at them until I come up with solutions to the problems I write myself into.

Cassony had been stalking through the facility, making use of her jetpack to move between levels and cut off guards with ease. She was in the middle of checking in with the others when she felt the tug in the back of her mind suddenly intensify to a nearly physical sensation.   
  


Almost without thinking, she was barking orders for Tono to cover for her as she let the sensation pull her along, taking to the air to move quicker.   
  


She scanned the rig as she circled through it, trying to locate the source of the feeling.   
  


Her world narrowed down to a pinpoint when she spotted 4 figures on a platform jutting off of the rig proper. Three of them were adults, clearly guards. The last was much smaller, humanoid, and clearly not an adult, though the age range was tough to gauge from this distance. The guards had their shock-batons brandished and were slowly advancing on the kid, forcing them back towards the edge.   
  


She put on a burst of speed, realizing grimly that they were soon going to be able to knock the kid right off the edge into the churning waves below.   
  


She would not let that happen.   
  


Every part of her being burned with this purpose. This child would not be lost. This child would not come to harm under her watch.   
  


She saw the kid fall to the ground, saw one of the guards raise his baton to strike, and felt her vision go white around the edges with rage. She barely registered taking out her blaster and firing. Barely registered the bolts unerringly finding their marks in the _demagolkase_ [1] and felling them. She spared a brief moment to sneer at them before her attention was once again on the youngling.   
  


She felt the tug in her chest settle as she landed on the platform and got her first good look at the kid. If she’d had any doubt before about what the _Manda_ [2] had wanted her to find, the easing sensation humming through her would have destroyed them. Cassony drank in the sight of the child as he slowly rose, cataloging the information she found. A human boy by the looks of it, or near-human enough to pass as one at the very least.

  
Cassony felt that protective rage swell again as she noted all the signs of injuries she could pick out at a cursory glance. Before she could even think about it, she was striding forward to check him more thoroughly for injuries.   
  


She only got a few steps closer when he was suddenly flailing, naked fear on his face, as he took stumbling steps backwards. Cassony’s stomach dropped out in horror as she watched him spin and half-stumble, half-leap over the edge.

* * *

Obi-Wan had stumbled away on reflex, trying to put space between himself and this new threat. In his mad scramble to get away from the advancing Mandalorian, however, he’d neglected to consider he had been standing near a sheer drop to the ocean below.   
  


He’d turned to run, only to find himself right at the edge. His momentum carried him forward, unable to stop, and he jumped without thinking. He remembered seconds too late that he was still cut off from the Force, helpless to slow his fall.   
  


As he plummeted down, flipping over again and again, he felt a kind of hysterical humor. He’d lasted this long, survived everything else, and now his own thoughtless clumsiness was what would kill him.   
  


Bruck’s voice echoed in his ears, sneering out that stupid, hateful nickname. _Look what you’ve done now, Oafy-Wan!  
  
_

The world blurred around him, the sensation of falling and his own panic dulling his senses further as he tried desperately to at least stabilize himself and stop spinning. His eyes darted around, not truly registering anything but the fast-approaching ocean. He flung his senses out desperately, reaching for the Force, but he just hit the same wall he had been for months, he was alone, the Force couldn’t help him and he was falling and he _was going to die, he didn’t want to die but he was falling and he_ ** _couldn’t stop-_ **

**_  
_ **Something hard slammed into him from behind, knocking the breath out of him and sending him tumbling head over feet again. Armored hands wrapped around him, hooking under his armpits and yanking him back. The world spun again, disorienting him as he was held tight to an armored body and somersaulted through the air. The distinct sound of jetpack thrusters firing went off right behind him, and he felt his ribs scream in protest as their fall slowed and then reversed.   
  


Obi-Wan stared upwards at the platform he’d fallen from as it grew closer again before he processed what was happening.   
  


_Jetpack. Mandalorian. He was being lifted by a Mandalorian.  
  
_

“Kriff!” he blurted out, beginning to struggle and kick out at the person holding him, yelping in pain as his heel connected with armor.   
  


“Easy there, _ad!”_ [3] came a modulated voice. “You’re just gonna hurt yourself, and I don’t want to drop you.” _But I will._ It was that unsaid threat of being dropped, of falling again that made him subside for the moment and allow the Mandalorian to carry him back up to the comparative solid ground of the platform above.   
  


As soon as his feet hit the metal he tore himself out of the arms grasping him. Stumbling over his feet, his knees hit the deck and he hunched over, gasping for breath and shaking. Distantly, he registered the approaching footsteps of the Mandalorian who’d grabbed him. A whimper escaped him as he tried to scramble back and the footsteps paused. He heard a quiet hiss and the sound of fabric moving.   
  


“Hey,” came a gentle, unmodulated voice. _“Udesii,_ [4] kid, it’s alright.”  
  


Obi-Wan’s head snapped up. The Mandalorian had removed her helmet, revealing a Pantoran woman. She had light blue skin, white hair braided in a kind of crown around her head, and golden eyes with magenta and gold tattoos under and around them. She moved to take another step closer and Obi-Wan recoiled. She paused again, and Obi-Wan distantly registered that she looked concerned. She considered him a moment before kneeling down where she was, 5 or 6 feet separating them.   
  


“I’m not going to hurt you,” she said, voice still gentle. “But you gotta breathe, kid. Come on, deep breaths. Can you do that for me?”   
  


Obi-Wan could only stare at her for a moment before finally sucking in a deep heaving breath. It took him a second to force his lungs to relax enough to exhale it before starting again, running through the centering exercises he’d been taught. The soldier nodded.   
  


“Good. Just like that. You’re okay.” She shifted for a moment, as if about to reach out, before hesitating. “We’re here to free you. Are you good to move?”   
  


Obi-Wan took another shaky breath in. _She doesn’t know. There’s no reason for her to know what I was,_ he reminded himself, trying to quell the panic and take stock of his condition. He was bruised and shaky and his ribs were still aching, but he was confident he’d be able to stand on his own.   
  


“I can move,” he croaked out a second later. The Mandalorian eyed him up and down before nodding and standing easily from her crouch. She approached slowly, offering him a hand up.   
  


“Then let’s get you somewhere safe with the others while my team finishes up here.”   
  


He paused before accepting the hand and finding himself pulled to his feet with an ease he somehow hadn’t quite expected. He swayed a moment, the Mandalorian steadying him, before finding his balance. She watched him carefully, letting him pull back and put a few feet of space between them when it was clear he could stand. A strange look flickered across her face before she focused on the cuffs on his wrists, eyeing the chain connecting them. Obi-Wan’s heart pounded in his chest, fighting the urge to recoil further.  
  


“Do you know where they keep the keys to those?” she asked. He hesitated, before shaking his head.   
  


“Not here. I...I don’t know where exactly, but the key isn’t on the rig.”   
  


She scowled but nodded, considering the length of the chain. “I don’t have anything on me that could easily slice that. It’s not restricting your movement too much?”   
  


Obi-Wan shook his head. “Had to be able to work with them on.”   
  


She nodded again. “We’ll get those off all of you when it’s safe,” she asserted before she was pulling a form-fitting hood over her hair and donning her helmet again.   
  


She looked at him, visor glinting. “Let’s go.”

* * *

Cassony followed alongside the kid, alternating between running and using her jetpack to fly, keeping him in the peripheral sights of her HUD at all times. Watching him go tumbling off the edge had filled her with a primal kind of horror. She’d followed, years of training carrying her into a dive after him. She’d let reflexes and experience carry her through the motions of a catch-and-retrieve, mind still reeling from the shock of that fear.   
  


The kid had felt tiny in her arms, far too light for his size and apparent age (Myles’s age, she’d noted absently, maybe a little younger). Once he was safely back on the rig, it had taken all her self-restraint not to do a full check for injuries. The kid was already scared out of his mind and clearly didn’t fully trust her. And she had a job to do besides. So she’d grit her teeth against the urge, cordoned off her concern, and focused on the task ahead.   
  


Checking in with her team over the internal comms in her _buy’ce_ [5] was quick and easy. Things were still going smoothly. By the sounds of it, several of her _vod’e_ [6] had also taken to escorting small groups through the rig, guiding as many of the slaves away from the fighting as possible.   
  


She put on a burst of speed as they came to a corner, flying ahead to get a vantage point as she took note of the guards running a level or two below.   
  


The kid called out to her as she flew out a little farther, picking them off with her blasters. “The collars! They’re rigged to blow! Did you-”  
  


“Taken care of! We didn’t start the assault until we were certain we’d gotten rid of all the transmitters,” she called back. “All of them should be shut off.” She landed back in the rig, keeping pace with him.   
  


_“Cassony,”_ she heard Mosori hail her over the comms. _“A small boat just left the rig. It’s headed towards the mainland. Looks like a couple of the slaves managed to commandeer it. Do you want someone to follow them?”  
  
_

Cassony paused a moment, considering the question.   
  


“Let them go,” she decided. “We can try and catch up and make sure they’re taken care of once we get everyone else off.”   
  


_“Elek, alor.”_ [7]  
  


She glanced at the kid beside her.  
  


“One of my team spotted a boat leaving the rig. Is there a good chance we’ll find more of your comrades if we head down where it was?”   
  


A brief expression of dismay crossed the kid’s face. “Yeah...I was with a small group heading for it when some guards found us.”   
  


“Then let’s get you down there,” she replied. Over her comms, she relayed the order for her team to send any slaves they encountered down towards the lower levels where the boat was docked, away from where the bulk of the fighting was happening. To the kid, she said, “Lead the way.”   
  


They moved in silence for a time, Cassony keeping a careful eye on her HUD to make sure no one was coming up behind them.   
  


Suddenly, the kid ducked down some stairs and gave a shout of dismay, taking off like a shot. Cassony threw herself after him, cursing inside her bucket.   
  


“SaarNa!” he shouted, barreling straight towards a Meerian being menaced by an Imbat guard. The kid threw himself bodily at the guard. She had to hand it to him, the kid had spirit. The Imbat barely stumbled, much taller and heavier than the scrawny, _jare'la,_ [8] kid, but it was enough to distract the thing as it tried to shake him off. Cassony rushed forward with a shout, hoping to make it face her.   
  


“Hey, _shabuir!”_ [9] The Imbat turned towards her voice, and Cassony took careful aim, pulling the trigger with relish.   
  


The Meerian stared at her warily as the kid rushed over.   
  


“SaarNa, are you alright?” he asked, concern clear in his voice.   
  


“I...yes. I am unharmed, Obi-Wan. Who is-?”  
  


“Cassony Tille,” she cut in with ease. “My people and I were hired to shut this place down and get all of you out. I’m escorting your friend here,” she nodded at the kid- _Obi-Wan,_ “down to the lower levels where you’ll be safe until we finish up.”   
  


“I told you, SaarNa,” the kid murmured. “We’re getting out!”   
  


“Truly?” the Meerian breathed, voice filling with a tentative kind of hope.   
  


Cassony nodded, smiling inside her helmet, when her comm buzzed again.  
  


_“Cassony, come in!”_ She turned, answering it easily.   
  


“What is it, Tono?”  
  


_“We’re chasing some of thesehut’uune[10] through the compound. Some of them figured out we’re here on a rescue op and are trying to use the prisoners as meat shields. We could use your help hunting them down.”   
  
_

Cassony swore. “I’m on my way!” She glanced down at Obi-Wan and SaarNa, blinking when she realized that the human had picked up the fallen Imbat’s shock-baton. They were staring at her with grim determination and she realized belatedly that she hadn’t switched off her external mics. She looked them both in the eye.  
  


“Get to safety,” she ordered. The Meerian paused, but nodded, turning to run  
  


“Get out of here, kid!”  
  


“I can help!” he protested, but she just shook her head.   
  


“You’re in no condition to fight, even with a weapon! You’ve done enough. Get your friend to safety. My people and I can handle this.” He hesitated a moment longer, but turned to follow the Meerian when she pointed, ordering “Go!” She watched him dart off before turning to go find her team.   
  


It was time to end this.

* * *

It didn’t take long after that for the Mandalorians to subdue or kill the rest of the guards and take full control of the rig. He and SaarNa had found Guerra already down below with the other slaves, and the three of them had huddled together, waiting as more and more of them found their way down there, murmuring nervously as sounds of distant blasterfire reached them. A few Mandalorians arrived escorting small groups down, but for the most part they were left to wait for word that it was safe to emerge.   
  


When one of them finally did fly down with news that it was over, there was an air of disbelief all around. Obi-Wan himself was still reeling. He’d reached out to grab and squeeze Guerra and SaarNa’s hands as they slowly made their way back up to where the rest of the Mandalorians were waiting to take them away.   
  


A Mandalorian stood up on a crate as they slowly filed up from below. With a jolt, he recognized her as the one he’d run into before.  
  


“Alright, listen up!” she called, her voice projecting easily over the lot of them. “My people and I are here to help you all. We’re going to get all of you off this hellhole, but it’s going to take a little time. I’ve got three ships available to take you all to the mainland. From there, we can put you in contact with people that can take you wherever else in the galaxy you want to go. The ships can only comfortably carry about a dozen of you at a time, so I ask that you show a little patience. In the meantime, those of us not flying you back will be making the rounds to check for any injuries we can help treat and to get an idea where you’re all going. We’ve also got equipment that will let us remove your collars.” A murmur of excitement went up in the crowd as she said that. She waited for them to subside, looking around. “We’ll likely need a different set of tools to remove any cuffs. How many of you will need us to do that for you as well?”   
  


Obi-Wan’s stomach dropped in fear as he froze. The murmurs started up again, though no one offered an answer. He could feel the people around him glancing at him and he did his best to blend in behind Guerra’s larger form. His taller friend shifted, doing his best to help conceal him.   
  


The Mandalorian tilted her head. Though the helmet concealed her expression, he could tell she was confused, but she shook her head and continued after a moment of silence.   
  


“Alright then...come to us with any concerns. We will do our best to accommodate you.” With that, she stepped down, and the Mandalorians dispersed into the crowd to begin. Guerra and SaarNa followed him wordlessly to an out-of-the-way spot to wait.   
  


He sat with the other two out on the deck where they’d gathered, leaning into Guerra’s side as the adrenaline crash caught up with him. The Mandalorians were milling around, speaking quietly and checking everyone for injuries and asking where everyone wanted to go. He watched as they used a strange, clamplike tool to carefully pull out the screws in the lock that kept the collars on.   
  


“Hey, kid!”   
  


Obi-Wan turned his head, jolting a little and sitting up. It was the Pantoran from before, helmet held under her arm and cap pulled off. She and a second Mandalorian, a Devaronian, approached the three of them, stopping a few feet away.   
  


SaarNa took in the blue and black designs of her armor and made a noise of recognition. “I remember you. You are the one from before. Cassony, was it?”  
  


The Pantoran dipped her head. “That’s me. This is my second, Tono Mull. I’m afraid we didn’t get a chance to be properly introduced before.”   
  


SaarNa dipped her head, her hands coming up in the traditional Meerian greeting. “I am SaarNa.”  
  


“I am called Guerra. Yes, so.”   
  


The two Mandalorians turned their gazes towards him and he swallowed.   
  


“Obi-Wan Kenobi,” he said quietly.   
  


Cassony nodded, eyes never leaving his. “Is it alright if I check you for injuries, Obi-Wan?”   
  


He hesitated a moment, before slowly nodding. She approached him slowly, kneeling down in front of him and carefully projecting her movements. Out of his peripheral vision, he noticed Tono kneeling down to do the same with SaarNa. Cassony’s hands were gentle as she ran them over his torso and limbs, carefully cataloging everything she found. He noticed flashes of anger whenever she found a nasty bruise, though she seemed to do her best to lock the emotion down.   
  


She carefully moved around behind him, continuing to gently probe even as he tensed up a little as she moved out of his line of sight. He felt SaarNa and Guerra watching carefully. Cassony’s hands paused to hover over his shoulder blades, and he flinched away from her hands as he realized she’d found the burns Xanatos left there.   
  


She remained still for a few seconds before clearing her throat.   
  


“I’m going to remove your collar now. Is that okay?”   
  


He nodded silently, hunching his shoulders a little as she gently placed a hand over his shoulder to steady him. He felt it as the tool clamped on and gave a few little tugs. A minute later, he felt the collar loosen and start to come apart. He reached up to pull it the rest of the way off of his neck, staring down at it.   
  


He could hardly believe it was gone. Nearly 6 months, he’d lived with the constant threat this collar posed, grown used to the weight and feel of it around his neck. And now it was gone. He reached up to gently rub at his neck where the edges of the collar had bit into the skin and chafed.   
  


Cassony cleared her throat. Obi-Wan startled, looking up to find both her and Tono in front of him, watching him carefully. It appeared the other Mandalorian had finished checking SaarNa and Guerra while he was zoned out.   
  


Cassony hesitated a moment before gesturing down to his wrists. He felt some of the tension that had left his frame with the collar’s removal return. “Tono might be able to figure out a way to get those off. Is it okay if he takes a look?”   
  


Obi-Wan froze, weighing the risks in his head before slowly nodding. He wanted the cuffs off, and refusing now might look suspicious.   
  


The Devaronian kneeled, gently taking his wrists in his hands and examining the cuffs carefully.   
  


“You’re the only one I’ve seen wearing anything like this,” he commented, not looking up. Obi-Wan froze and Guerra and SaarNa tensed up. The silence dragged on. Obi-Wan knew he had to say something, knew it was getting suspicious, but the panic drove anything he might say to deflect suspicion from his mind. He opened his mouth anyway.   
  


“I-”   
  


“Obawan is well-behaved,” Guerra blurted out, making everyone pause awkwardly for a moment before he rushed to continue. “Not so! He is always in trouble. The guards hated Obawan, very much so!”   
  


“He would be punished often. They started singling him out,” SaarNa added softly.   
  


Cassony and Tono exchanged looks before the Devaronian went back to gently prodding at the cuffs. Obi-Wan slowly relaxed as it became clear they weren’t going to comment any further. Tono hummed after a minute, looking up.   
  


“I think we’ve got a tool that will let us get these off you. But it’s on our ship.” He glanced at Cassony as he stood. “Neekha will have to do it. She doesn’t let anyone else touch it.” Cassony furrowed her brows for a moment before seeming to understand.   
  


“Got it. Which brings us to our last order of business: where would you three like to go?”   
  


There was another pause as the question sunk in.   
  


“I would like to return to Bandor,” SaarNa piped up first. “My family is all there.” Cassony and Tono nodded, looking unsurprised by the request.   
  


Guerra eagerly requested to be put in contact with his family on Phindar.   
  


Which left them to once again turn to him last.   
  


“What about you, _ad’ika?”_ [11] Cassony asked gently. “Do you have anyone we can comm for you?”   
  


Obi-Wan opened his mouth, mind immediately jumping to the Temple, but he stopped. So far, the Mandalorians had been helpful, kind even. Nothing like the stories of ruthless conquerors he had heard in the creche. That didn’t change the fact that they hated Jedi. He couldn’t ask to be brought to the Temple.   
  


And besides, he realized, he’d been sent away from the Temple. He was no longer a Jedi Initiate. Qui Gon had rejected him out-of-hand, had left Bandomeer and him behind without a second thought. If he reached out now, they’d only send him back to the AgriCorps. He couldn’t take that rejection again.   
  


“No,” he croaked out when the silence stretched on and he noticed the concern starting to appear on the Mandalorians’ faces. “There’s no one.”   
  


They exchanged a look again, seeming to have a conversation without words, before Cassony kneeled down in front of him and gently placed a hand on his.   
  


“Is there any place you can return to, then? A home planet, maybe?” she asked.   
  


He shook his head mutely, trying to blink back tears.   
  


Another pause.   
  


“Do you want to stay on Bandomeer?” she eventually asked.   
  


He squeezed his eyes shut. He could. He could return to the AgriCorps, spend his life being a farmer. But the thought of staying here, after everything...his mind turned to the 6 months he’d spent on this rig, to the pain Xanatos had inflicted whenever he was around, and he flinched.   
  


“No,” he whispered. “I don’t want to stay here.” He felt tears escape his eyes and he blinked rapidly, trying to clear them.   
  


Cassony’s face seemed to crumble for a moment. She reached out to take his other hand.   
  


“Obi-Wan,” she said slowly, “if you have nowhere else to go...we could take you home with us. Take care of you. You wouldn’t be the only one who had nowhere else to go. My clan has several foundlings we take care of. It could be a place for you to stay until you’re back on your feet.”   
  


Obi-Wan stared at her, mouth agape. “Go to Mandalore with you?” he squeaked.   
  


She nodded easily. “If you want to, yes. Only if you want to.” Her face softened. “You’d be safe with us.”   
  


That almost made him laugh. Safe on Mandalore. Him, go to Mandalore, where he’d be surrounded by Mandalorians. Where he’d have to hide where he came from, never tell anyone what he could do. The idea was absurd.  
  


But.   
  


But it was a way off of Bandomeer. And the Force had shown him...something before. He remembered the place he’d seen in his vision, remembered the feeling of safety and home he’d felt, and he wondered if this was the path to get there.   
  


He swallowed heavily and opened his mouth.   
  


“Okay,” he said, voice hesitant. “I’ll go with you.”   
  


The bright grin Cassony offered him filled his chest with warmth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Mando'a Translations**  
>  1 _demagolkase_ \- plural form of _demagolka_ ; someone who commits atrocities, a war criminal, especially one who hurts children[return to text]
> 
> 2 _Manda_ \- the collective soul of Mandalore; the state of being Mandalorian in mind, body, and spirit; Mandalorian afterlife; essentially analogous to the Force[return to text]
> 
> 3 _ad_ \- kid[return to text]
> 
> 4 _Udesii_ \- relax, calm down; a command[return to text]
> 
> 5 _buy'ce_ \- helmet[return to text]
> 
> 6 _vod'e_ \- siblings, gender neutral[return to text]
> 
> 7 _"Elek, alor!"_ -"Yes, sir!"[return to text]
> 
> 8 _jare'la_ \- reckless, oblivious to danger[return to text]
> 
> 9 _shabuir_ \- motherfucker; according to Mando'a.org, "jerk", but much stronger[return to text]
> 
> 10 _hut'uune_ \- cowards; an extreme insult in Mandalorian culture[return to text]
> 
> 11 _ad'ika_ \- dimunitive form of _ad_ ; affectionate way to refer to a child or friend[return to text]
> 
> You may have noticed the addition of a new tag to this work. While I'm not going to be actively bashing him, Qui Gon definitely won't be looked at particularly charitably by any characters. He's not an irredeemable asshole but he fucks up and his actions have consequences. Also, I'm not a fan of the guy so I'm not inclined to be very nice to him. 
> 
> Thank you all so much for all the comments and support! The response this has gotten blows my mind. I do my best to respond to as many comments as I can when I get time, but know that if I don't respond, I still read it and it made me smile. I love talking about what I'm working on for down the line in this story so feel free to reach out with questions!
> 
> Come scream with me about Star Wars on [Tumblr](https://fadinglight123.tumblr.com/)


	4. room to breathe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which important conversations are had by all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We were supposed to get to Mandalore this chapter, but the characters all rebelled and decided that there needed to be way more talking than I had planned. I can't even complain about the mutiny because I'm happy with how it turned out. 
> 
> I'm going to take the opportunity to give some heads up now that there is a discussion of and flashbacks to torture coming up sometime soonish. The current plan is for it to occur sometime in the next 5 chapters, but as I've already demonstrated, chapter plans are fluid and the characters run away from me sometimes. I will add relevant tags to the fic once that chapter is posted and I'll add trigger warning with the beginning and end of the relevant passages in the author's note of that chapter so you can skip it if you want. Please don't hesitate to let me know if there's anything you think I should tag that I haven't already.
> 
> Thanks as always to [nerdytransguy](https://nerdytransguy.tumblr.com/) and [Cuzosu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cuzosu/pseuds/Cuzosu) for beta-ing.

_Reformation Year 956, 7933 C.R.C_

**Hyperspace, aboard a Mandalorian dropship en-route to Mandalore**

“How old are you, anyway?”   
  


Obi-Wan was jolted out of his thoughts by the quiet question. He looked down at the human woman kneeling in front of him. Cassony had introduced her as Neekha, explaining that she had trained in Mandalorian smithing and forging techniques. As such, she was the only one present who could use the various equipment throughout the ship meant for repairing damage to their armor.   
  


Her raised eyebrow made him realize he’d been silent too long.   
  


“I’m 13.”  
  


He didn’t miss the unhappy looks and murmuring the other Mandalorians milling about shared over his answer. Or the way it made her pause in her attempt to open the cuffs.   
  


“How does a 13-year-old kid wind up alone on Bandomeer?” one of them, a zabrak male he didn’t recognize, demanded. “You’re not _from_ that hellhole, are you?” Obi-Wan very carefully did not flinch.   
  


“No…”   
  


“Ilvokk.” Cassony’s voice held a hint of warning that made the man subside. She had taken up a position across the room, watching as Neekha worked. He couldn’t decide if her constant presence nearby was comforting or making him more nervous.   
  


Silence reigned as Neekha resumed her work. She had explained in a lightly accented voice that the tool she was using was normally used to make adjustments and repairs to the HUDs in their helmets. Now, she was using it to try and override the electronic lock keeping the cuffs on his wrists. Every so often, sparks flew from the circuitry she’d carefully exposed, making Obi-Wan jerk back a bit. Neekha barely reacted, never losing her gentle grip on him and moving with him.   
  


He’d noticed how Cassony had clenched her jaw and tensed the first few times it happened before she seemed to settle.   
  


Suddenly, Neekha made a noise of triumph. With a gentle tug, the cuffs popped open, sliding easily off his wrists.   
  


Obi-Wan gasped as he felt the Force rush back into his awareness, unimpeded for the first time in months. He’d forgotten what it’s touch felt like to his mind, how soothing it’s currents were. He teared up at the comforting, familiar feeling returned.   
  


He reached out with his senses, the sensation not unlike stretching a limb after the nerves fell asleep- and immediately froze.   
  


All the Mandalorians were watching him with a laser focus. He reflexively slammed shields into place and did his best to school his expression. He couldn’t help but wince at how clumsy his shields felt. It had been months since he’d been able to feel enough of the Force to even bother with shielding; the lack of use had left them shoddy and thin enough for him to still be able to feel the surprise and curiosity radiating off of them.   
  


Cassony cleared her throat, and he felt the surprise shift into a calm steadiness that felt almost...soothing. It reminded him of how some of the more experienced Jedi had felt back in the Temple. He could still sense the edge of curiosity, though, and it made him tense up.   
  


“What are you planning on doing with those?” she asked Neekha, who was still holding the cuffs.   
  


The human hummed.   
  


“I thought I might melt them down once we get back,” she replied. “They aren’t _ beskar [1] _ , but it’s still decent material. Besides,” she continued, pausing to glance at Obi-Wan, “it’s not like we have a reason to keep them.”  
  


Cassony considered him for a moment as well. Obi-Wan kept very still, doing his best to school his expression and shore up his shields. He tried very hard not to project how much he wanted them gone. How scared he was that they’d realize what they were- what _he_ was- and put them right back on.   
  


“Get rid of them,” Cassony agreed. “Maybe they can be used to make something useful.”   
  


He very carefully didn’t slump in relief at that, shifting a little where he was sitting.   
  


Cassony looked at him and seemed to be thinking about saying something, but a cleared throat grabbed her attention.   
  


_“Alor,”_ Tono said, “a word?”   
  


Cassony straightened with a nod and moved to follow the Devaronian. She stopped to offer Obi-Wan a reassuring smile before she left.   
  


“I’ll be back in a bit. Go ahead and get comfortable anywhere. One of the others will get you set up with somewhere to sleep and whatever else you need.”   
  


Obi-Wan hesitated before nodding slowly at her. She smiled again, before turning to leave. He slowly let out a breath, trying to release his emotions into the Force, before turning to the Mandalorian that stepped up to lead him to the bunks. 

* * *

“So,” Tono started once they were out of earshot. “You felt that right?”   
  


“I did,” Cassony replied, absentmindedly rubbing at her cuirass. She’d noticed how Obi-Wan had felt...muffled somehow. Disconnected almost. The bond she had felt quickly starting to form had been impeded by something. They had had some suspicions about the cuffs, but hadn’t spoken more about them. And Obi-Wan was still too on edge for them to think asking him about them to be prudent.   
  


The way she’d felt his presence _expand_ and...light up as soon as those damned cuffs were gone had all but confirmed their suspicions though.   
  


Tono wasn’t sensitive to the will of the _Manda_ in the same way Cassony was, but he’d still been able to feel how the boy had seemed to _come alive_ in their minds, and that feeling had come through their bonds with the other _verd’e_ onboard, tugging at their awareness.   
  


“He’s strong. And he’s had some training. He reached out almost instinctively once Neekha got the cuffs open,” she murmured.   
  


“It’s more than that, and you know it,” Tono retorted. She looked at him evenly. “You know as well as I do how the _jetii’se[2] _ search for kids like him. Any Force sensitives they can find get brought to their temple. If he’s had training, you know it means he was-”   
  


“It doesn’t matter what he was,” she cut in, glaring at him. “He didn’t ask to be returned to them. He wouldn’t say if there was any one we could try and find. He could’ve stayed and tried to reach out to whichever temple he’s from. Hell, he could’ve just asked us to drop him on a planet without telling us where exactly he was going back to. _Jetii’se_ his age always have a guardian with them when they’re out in the galaxy, and he’d been left on that rig for _months!_ Do you really want to send him back to whichever gods forsaken temple he came from when they just _left him_ like-”   
  


“That’s not what I’m saying!” he snapped, before visibly trying to get a handle on his emotions. “Look, the kid is terrified. Anyone with eyes can see that. He’s traumatized and he’s obviously waiting for the other shoe to drop. You know how that can make things go...haywire. He’s _your_ foundling-” he held up a hand to stop her protests. “I know you haven’t adopted him yet. Hell, I even understand why. But you found him. You bonded with him. He’s more comfortable around you than anyone else. Which means you should be ready to deal with it in case he loses control. Especially if he’s been cut off the entire time he was on that hellhole.”   
  


“...you’re right,” Cassony sighed.   
  


“Of course I am,” her second snarked. “I’m always right.”   
  


“Let’s not go that far.”   
  


He chuckled before sobering for a second. “You know not everyone will react well if they figure out where he’s from, right?”   
  


Cassony pressed her lips together. “I know. I’ll keep an eye on it. Hopefully, it won’t be too bad.”   
  


“It’ll be better once you officially adopt him.”   
  


_“Tono.”  
  
_

He held up his hands in surrender. “I’m gonna get some food. You should probably go call Jaster and debrief with him before we re-enter hyperspace.”   
  


“Right,” she sighed. “I’ll catch up with you later, Tono.”   
  


She made her way to the holotable, sending out a call to the _Mand’alor.[3] _ A hologram of Jaster popped up on the table as the call connected.   
  


_“Mand’alor,”_ Cassony greeted, bowing her head and crossing her arm over her chest in greeting.   
  


_“Cassony. How did things go?”  
  
_

“Our mission was a success, _Alor_ . We subdued and killed the guards and were able to free all the prisoners with no casualties. Most of them have been returned to Bandor City and those who wished to return to other planets have been put in contact with people who can get them there. Our group is en-route to Mandalore and should be arriving in 2 days.”   
  


_“Most?”_ Jaster raised an eyebrow, catching the phrasing. Cassony allowed her lips to quirk upwards. No matter his prowess as a warrior, Jaster’s greatest strength had always been his keen mind.   
  


“One of them is coming back with us.”   
  


_“Found someone to swear to theResol’nare[4]?” _ he asked, visibly interested. Cassony grimaced.   
  


“Maybe. It’s a little early to tell. He’s...young. And whatever he went through that led to him being on that rig, it...he’s a bit karked up, Jaster.”   
  


_“How young?”_ She could read the quiet anger in his body language, see how he was restraining himself from reacting.   
  


“He says he’s 13. As far as I can tell, he’s being honest.”   
  


Jaster swore viciously before sighing.   
  


_“Was he the only kid?”  
  
_

“The only one that young. There were a few who were technically under the age of majority for their species, but they all had somewhere to go or someone to contact and most were from on-planet. Obi-Wan - if there is someone we could contact for him, he won’t say.”   
  


Jaster paused, eyeing Cassony.   
  


_“Were you the one who found him?”  
  
_

_“Lek.”_ Cassony couldn’t help but bare her teeth in a snarl. “Some _hut’unne_ were trying to shove him off a platform.”   
  


Jaster’s snarl matched her own. “I assume they’re dead?”   
  


“Oh, yes. They’re all very dead.” Her snarl turned into a feral grin. None of the _Haat’ade_ would lose any sleep over those deaths. They didn’t always kill everyone they came up against on missions like this, but slavers and _demagolkase_ were always put down. No questions asked. She shook her head, focusing back on the present. “The kid’s got spirit. Potential. Threw himself right at an Imbat that was twice his size to save a friend.”   
  


Now Jaster looked distinctly amused.   
  


_“Have you got yourself a foundling, Cas’ika?”  
  
_

She pressed her lips together, trying not to smile at the idea.   
  


“Not me, specifically. I’ve offered him a place with the clan kids, for now.”   
  


_“You honestly expect me to believe you don’t intend to claim this kid as yours?”_ Jaster scoffed, incredulity dripping from his voice.   
  


“That’s not the kind of decision I’d be hasty about. At least, not in this case. Obi-Wan is jumpy and still looks at all of us like he’s half-expecting to get spaced. I think if I were to offer that now, he’d have a panic attack. I’d rather he spend some time getting comfortable among us before even bringing up the idea. Besides,” she continued, lips quirked up into a wry smile. “Mina would give me endless shit if I adopted a kid without warning her.”   
  


_“You know as well as I do that all you’d have to do is tell her the same thing you’ve told me and she’d be on board with the idea.”  
  
_

Cassony chuckled, shaking her head but not denying the accusation.   
  


“Doesn’t mean she wouldn’t tease me endlessly.”   
  


_“She’ll be wrapped around your kid’s finger within a week, just you wait.”  
  
_

“Let me actually talk to my wife about the idea and maybe introduce her and Myles to him before you start calling him ‘my kid,’ Jaster,” she laughed.   
  


_“And after that you’ll claim him?”_   
  


_“After that,_ we’ll see how he’s doing.”   
  


Jaster hummed, a shit-eating grin spreading across his face.   
  


_“Want me to spread the word that your foundling is off-limits?”  
  
_

“Jaster!”   
  


The _Mand’alor_ laughed at her exasperated growl, holding his hands up in surrender. She shook her head, ignoring the smile she knew was visible.   
  


“How did the other groups fare with their targets?” she asked, trying to get the briefing back on track. “Anything I should know about now?”   
  


The way Jaster immediately sobered sent warning bells ringing in her head.   
  


_“Everyone was successful. Some injuries but nothing a bacta and a few days of light activity won’t fix, thank the ka’ra.”  
  
_

She narrowed her eyes. “But…”  
  


_“Ved’s team found some serious explosives sequestered away. One of the Offworld higher-ups had rigged a mine to hell and back. If he detonated them, half the planet would have died.”  
  
_

Cassony swore up a blue streak.   
  


_“Yeah,”_ Jaster replied, grimacing. _“That was about my reaction, too.”  
  
_

“Did they catch the culprit?”   
  


_“No. The hut’uun managed to get away.”_ Jaster rubbed at his temples before looking up. _“Apparently, he had a lightsaber. Managed to slice up a few members of his team before he fled.”  
  
_

_“Haar’chak![5] _ He couldn’t have been a _jet’ii,_ could he? _”  
  
_

Jaster shook his head. “He wasn’t. The blade was red.”   
  


Cassony swore viciously. _“Dar’jetii.[6] _ Even worse.” She rubbed her hand over her face for a second before focusing back on Jaster. “Did they get a name?”   
  


_“Yeah. Du Crion.”  
  
_

“Anything you want me to follow up on while I'm on my way back?”   
  


_“No. Get home. We’ll figure out what to do about him once everyone returns.”  
  
_

_“Elek, alor._ I’ll see you there, then. Cassony out.”   
  


_“Call Mina or I will!”_ Jaster called, laughing as she swore at him just as the call ended.   
  


_“Mir’sheb[7] _ thinks he’s funny,” she muttered under her breath as she moved towards the cockpit to speak to Mosori.   
  


The Weequay was at the nav terminal when she walked in.   
  


“How long until you’re ready to take us back into hyperspace?”   
  


“Not long. Maybe 5 minutes? I can delay the jump if you need more time, though.”   
  


Cassony shook her head. “No, that’s fine. I was hoping to call Mina, but it’s not likely to be a short conversation and I don’t want to make everyone wait.”   
  


Mosori stopped to eye her contemplatively for a moment before grinning. “Was this conversation going to be about your little foundling, by any chance?”   
  


Cassony gave her a deadpan stare. “Get us into hyperspace, Mosori. And he’s not _my_ foundling.”   
  


“Whatever you say, _alor_ ,” Mosori snickered as Cassony turned on her heel to leave.   
  


_Comedians, the lot of them._

* * *

A quiet knocking on the doorframe made Obi-Wan jerk out of the meditation he’d settled into. The other Mandalorians had largely left him alone once they’d made sure he had everything he needed. While the other bunks were clearly occupied, the room was empty. He’d taken the opportunity to try and truly immerse himself in the Force now that he was finally, _finally_ free to do so. He’d been so caught up in the sensation, he hadn’t noticed anyone approaching.   
  


Cassony was leaning against the doorway, watching him. He got a brief sense of that same soothing calm she’d had earlier before he hurriedly strengthened his shields.   
  


“Is it alright if I sit down? There’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”   
  


Obi-Wan held himself very still, trying not to shrink down or show the fear he felt. Slowly, carefully, he nodded in permission, the knot in his throat preventing him from speaking.   
  


She sat down in the bunk across from him with a sigh before meeting his eyes.   
  


“First of all, I want to make it clear that you don’t have to tell me anything. You’ve been through a lot, and I know this, us-” she gestured around them, “-it can be overwhelming. You won’t be punished for not feeling safe enough to open up about what’s happened to you yet. You are safe here, and we want to help you, but that help will happen at your pace. Understand?”   
  


He couldn’t help but stare at her. When she’d asked to talk, he wasn’t sure what to expect. An interrogation, maybe. Accusations about the truth of where he came from. Whatever he’d been expecting, it wasn’t _this.  
  
_

“Obi-Wan?” she prompted.   
  


“Right,” he rasped, clearing his throat before nodding. “I understand.”   
  


“Good.” She paused, seeming to weigh her words carefully. “What can you tell me about how you wound up on that rig?” she finally settled, voice gentle. “You’re young. Too young to have been there completely alone. And you said you weren’t from Bandomeer.”  
  


Obi-Wan paused, breathing through the initial panic and doing his best to release it as he thought. Cassony didn’t rush him, simply sat quietly, waiting for his answer.   
  


“I- I was sent there. To- to work.”   
  


Her brows furrowed.   
  


“Sent there? Alone?”   
  


“No,” he admitted. “I had...there was a chaperone. But he left. Went back to- to our home. I was sent to work with some farmers.” It wasn’t the full truth; but none of what he said was a lie. He simply left out the details of who his “chaperone” and those farmers were. Master Jinn had been distant the entire trip to Bandomeer, but he became agitated when he arrived and received that letter. When he learned the government had not sent for a Jedi, he’d had Obi-Wan put on a shuttle to the Agricorps and been on the next ship back to Coruscant, citing a need to confer with the Council.   
  


Obi-Wan knew the older Jedi had simply been eager to get away from him.   
  


Cassony shifted, a slight grimace on her face. “You know...we’re already en-route to Mandalore. But if you want to go back to...your _home_ , we can take a detour. Or arrange transport for you once we land.”   
  


“No!” Obi-Wan surprised even himself with how fervent his denial was. Cassony’s eyebrows had risen and she was staring at him. “I-I mean…” He looked away. He couldn’t bring himself to look at her while he said this. “....It’s not my home. Not anymore. I didn’t want to leave, but they sent me away. So now I can’t go back. They’d just send me back to the farmers, again. And I...I don’t want to go back to stay on Bandomeer,” he admitted in a whisper.   
  


There was silence for a long moment. When he summoned the courage to look up at her, Cassony’s face was carefully blank. He could feel the way her emotions were roiling around her in the Force, though. He flinched away, retreating further within his shields and shrinking his presence down.   
  


“...These farmers,” she finally began. “Did they send you to that rig?” There was something dangerous in her voice as she asked that.  
  


“No. No, I...I was taken. I don’t think they even noticed I was gone.” He couldn’t keep the bitterness out of his voice as he said it.   
  


Xanatos had taken great joy in telling him that he hadn’t been missed. That no one was searching for him. In the end, that had done just as much to break Obi-Wan’s spirit as the physical blows had.   
  


“Alright...alright.” Cassony blew out a deep breath. “Thank you for telling me this, Obi-Wan. I know it can’t have been easy to share.”   
  


He shrugged, scratching absently at his wrists and avoiding her eyes. He didn’t deny her statement though.   
  


“If you want to talk about...about what you went through in more detail, I’m here. So are all the other _verd’e-_ the other soldiers,” she clarified at his confused look. “ We’re here for you, Obi-Wan. We want to help. If you’ll let us.” With that, she got to her feet. “I’ll let you get settled in, for now.” And with that, she quietly exited the room.   
  


Obi-Wan watched her as she left.   
  


Her words rang as honest. Just like the promise that he was safe. If nothing else, she believed what she was saying was true.   
  


And the Force seemed to believe her, too. **_Trust,_ ** it was echoing, **_trust!  
  
_ **

Obi-Wan wanted to. He desperately wanted to believe what she’d said. That he was safe. That they wanted to help. But Cassony didn’t know the full truth. And he...he couldn’t risk them turning on him if he told them, not here on a ship surrounded by Mandalorians, hurtling through hyperspace. He’d be at their mercy. He just...he couldn’t. Not yet.   
  


But he could trust in the Force, now that he could hear its song again. He might not be a Jedi, might have been rejected and deemed unworthy to become one, but he’d still been raised and trained by them. He would remember those lessons. He would put his faith in the Force to guide and warn him, as they had taught him to do.   
  


**_Soon,_ ** the Force hummed, settling around him as he sunk back into meditation. **_soon..._ **

* * *

When they next exited hyperspace, Cassony went immediately to Mosori.   
  


“How long are we supposed to be out of hyperspace this time?”   
  


“A couple hours.” The pilot smirked at her. “Go call your _riduur[8].” _ Cassony made a rude gesture but left to do just that. She went to the room she’d been staying in with a couple other _verd’e_ , absently noting that Obi-Wan was gone. One of the others must have taken him to the galley to get some food. That should give her plenty of time to make this call. She sat down on her bunk and pulled up Mina’s comm frequency.   
  


It rang for a few seconds before a hologram of a teenage boy with wild, curly hair appeared. He lit up when he saw her.   
  


_“Su cuy’gar, buir!”[9]  
  
_

_“Su cuy’gar,_ Myles,” she laughed. A hint of scolding entered her tone. “What are you doing with your mother’s comm?”   
  


_“She left it on the table!”_ He was quick to defend. _“I think she’s taking care of her weapons. Want me to bring it to her?”  
  
_

“ _Lek.Vor’e[10], ad’ika.” _   
  


Myles grinned, and the hologram of him shifted as he picked up the comm, and started to move.   
  


_“So, you on your way back from your latest job?”  
  
_

“I am. We should get there in about a day and a half.”   
  


_“That’s good! This was a quick one. Did it go well?”  
  
_

“It did! Things went smoothly. How are things at home?”   
  


_“Fine. Jango nearly roasted hisshebs[11] when we were doing drills with jetpacks yesterday.”   
  
_

Cassony chuckled. “I’m assuming since you aren’t desperately fretting over him that he made it out okay?”   
  


_“Mooooooooom!”_   
  


She laughed. She always missed her son when she was on missions, no matter how short they were. It was good to get to catch up with him and tease him again, even if only for a minute or two.   
  


Myles must have reached whichever room Mina was in, as his attention was drawn away from the comm. 

_  
“Buir!”_ Cassony heard a muffled sound of acknowledgment from somewhere on the other end of the line. _“Mom’s calling. She wants to talk to you.”  
  
_

There was shuffling, before a human woman with similar curly hair to Myles, shaved on one side and pulled back into a ponytail, appeared, replacing the hologram of her son.  
  


_“Su cuy’gar,_ Mina!” Cassony felt some of the tension she’d still been carrying drain away at the image of her wife.   
  


Mina looked vaguely amused.   
  


_“Su cuy’gar, riduur,”_ she replied. _“What’s this I hear about us acquiring another kid?”  
  
_

Cassony tilted her head back and groaned. “I’m going to _kill_ Jaster.”   
  


_“Jaster wasn’t the one who sold you out,cyar’ika,[12]” _ Mina chuckled.   
  


“Who do I have to maim, then?”   
  


_“That would be your second.”_ Mina laughed at the string of curses Cassony muttered against Tono. _“So, you did pick up a foundling then?”  
  
_

Cassony winced. “Sort of.” Mina arched an eyebrow at her, looking distinctly unimpressed.  
  


_“What do you mean_ ‘sort of,’ _Cas’ika?”_ she drawled. _“Did you or did you not find a kid?”  
  
_

“There’s a kid. But I haven’t claimed him. He’s coming back with us and is gonna stay with the clan kids to start off.”   
  


Mina’s eyes narrowed. _“Is there a dispute over who’s got the better claim on him?”_   
  


She shook her head. “Nothing like that. He’s just...he’s jumpy as hell, _cyare._ And he’s been through hell. If you saw where they were keeping him…”   
  


_“Tell me about him,”_ Mina ordered, straightening. Cassony settled back, a smile flickering across her face.   
  


“His name is Obi-Wan, and he’s 13.” She began telling her wife the story of how she found him, how he almost fell to his death, how he threw himself bodily at a guard nearly twice his size to protect someone else. How he let her hold him still and steady while Cassus used his _beskad[13] _ to slice through the chain keeping the cuffs on his wrist connected in one swing. How he seemed to trust her enough to let her hold on to him and comfort him when he started shaking and hyperventilating afterward. How he’d said goodbye to his friends and boarded the ship and leaned into her hand on his shoulder, just a little, when he finally relaxed as they broke atmo and left Bandomeer behind.  
  


_“He sounds like a good kid, Cas’ika,”_ Mina said, voice gentle. _“Definitelymandokarla[14]. Which begs the question: why haven’t you said the gai bal manda[15] yet? It sounds like you’ve got a real connection.”   
  
_

“I wasn’t just going to adopt a kid without you!” Cassony spluttered. Mina raised an eyebrow. “Really,” she insisted. “This isn't the kind of thing I wanted to spring on you. If we’re doing this, I wanted to make sure we’re both on board.”   
  


Mina looked amused.   
  


_“I distinctly recall you bringing a tooka back from one of your first missions and threatening to fight anyone who gave you shit over it. Including me.”  
  
_

“That was _20 years ago,_ first of all! And kids are different! I thought you might like more warning than a comm call saying I’d adopted a second child for us and was on my back with him!”   
  


Her _riduur_ laughed, smiling fondly. _“While I appreciate you wanting to talk about it first, you know I’d never say no to giving a home to a kid in need.”  
  
_

“There’s more to it than that,” Cassony sighed.   
  


_“Such as?”  
  
_

“For one thing, Tono and I are fairly certain he was raised by the _jetii’se._ I’m not entirely sure which temple, but based on his accent, I’d bet on Coruscant. _”  
  
_

Mina’s face instantly sobered.   
  


_“And he didn’t want to go back?”  
  
_

Cassony shook her head, a scowl flickering across her face. “He hasn’t explicitly admitted to it. He wasn’t lying, but he was very vague in his explanation. But he told me...he was sent away. He didn’t want to leave, but they sent him to Bandomeer to live with some farmers for some reason. Outright said that if we were to return him to them, they’d turn around and send him right back to that barren planet.”   
  


Mina’s expression was thunderous for a moment before a flicker of concern crossed her face.  
  


_“No guardian? Don’t the kids always have an adult with them?”  
  
_

“Oh, he said he had a chaperone. And apparently they dumped him on some farm and turned around and left. He was on that mining rig for _months_ , Mina! And the _jetii’se_ didn’t bother to come looking to try and get him out either! Whatever the reason for why he was sent away, there’s no one there looking out for him. And I’m not too keen on the idea of sending him back to the _jetii’se_ even if he does admit to being raised by them.” Her voice got noticeably colder. “They let a kid rot and either didn’t know he was missing or didn’t bother to look for him. It doesn’t paint a very good picture of their ability to protect him.” 

  
Mina made a noise of agreement, muttering a curse against the Jedi under her breath.   
  


_“Alright. That still doesn’t answer what’s keeping you from adopting him, now.”  
  
_

“He’s been through hell. That trauma is fresh, and he’s still scared out of his mind,” she admitted. “He’s...better now that we’re off that hellhole, but he’s still got a look in his eyes. Like he’s waiting for the other boot to drop. He’s been keeping to himself, not engaging with the other _verd’e._ He’ll talk to me and Tono and Nheeka, but everyone else...he freezes. Even with us, he’s walking on eggshells. I think if I brought up adoption right now, it’d just overwhelm him.”   
  


Mina nodded, thinking it over.   
  


_“Bring him here,”_ she declared. _“We can focus on getting him settled first. Then, go from there.”  
  
_

Cassony smiled. “That's what I was thinking. I wanted him to meet you in person first, anyway. Myles too, if we can manage it in a way that won’t overwhelm him.”   
  


_“You know My’ika is enthusiastic with new people,”_ her _riduur_ replied skeptically. _“You really think that’s a good idea?”  
  
_

“I’d rather they meet ahead of time so we’re not springing them on each other,” she retorted. “I don’t think Obi-Wan would respond well to finding out he’d have a brother _after_ we adopted him.”   
  


_“You’re not worried about how Myles will react,”_ Mina noted.  
  


“Like you said, he’s enthusiastic with new people. And he’s a good kid. Even if they don’t get along immediately, they’d work themselves out eventually. But I’ve got a good feeling about them. I don’t think Myles will have a problem.”   
  


_“You’ve got a good sense for those kinds of things,”_ Mina conceded. _“I think that sounds like a plan.”  
  
_

Cassony smiled. “I think so, too.”   
  


_“When are you supposed to get in?”  
  
_

“About a day and a half from now, if all goes well.”   
  


_“Good. We’ll see you then, Cas’ika. Ni kar’taylir darasuum, cyar’ika.”  
  
_

_“Ni kar’taylir darasuum balyc[16], cyare.”   
  
_

As she ended the call, Cassony felt a surge of rightness. She couldn’t shake the feeling that somehow, this would all work out. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Mando'a Translations**
> 
> 1 _beskar_ \- Mandalorian iron; extremely durable and capable of withstanding blaster bolts and repelling lightsaber strikes[return to text]
> 
> 2 _jetii'se_ \- plural form of jet'ii; Jedi[return to text]
> 
> 3 _Mand'alor_ \- the sole ruler of the Mandalorians[return to text]
> 
> 4 _Resol'nare_ \- The Six Actions; the tenets of Mandalorian life: _education and armor, self-defense, our tribe, our language, and our leader_ [return to text]
> 
> 5 _"Haar'chak!"_ \- "Damn it!"[return to text]
> 
> 6 _Darjetii_ \- lit. no longer a Jedi, Sith[return to text]
> 
> 7 _Mir'sheb_ \- smartass[return to text]
> 
> 8 _riduur_ \- spouse[return to text]
> 
> 9 _Su cuy'gar, buir!_ \- lit. You're still alive, parent!; Hello, parent![return to text]
> 
> 10 _Vor'e_ \- Thanks[return to text]
> 
> 11 _shebs_ \- backside; rear; ass[return to text]
> 
> 12 _cyar'ika/cyare_ \- sweetheart, darling, beloved, etc.[return to text]
> 
> 13 _beskad_ \- Mandalorian sword, usually made out of beskar[return to text]
> 
> 14 _mandokarla_ \- having "the right stuff," a Mandalorian spirit/attitude[return to text]
> 
> 15 _gai bal manda_ \- lit. name and soul; Mandalorian adoption vows[return to text]
> 
> 16 _Ni kar’taylir darasuum (balyc)_ \- lit. "I know you in my heart, forever"; I love you (too)[return to text]
> 
> I'm probably going to stop translating every single Mando'a word I use, especially if I've used it before. Some of them are common enough that I trust you're all smart enough to remember them from previous chapters or figure out what they mean from how often they're used in fanfic. I'll still be adding translations for new words I use each chapter or for words I create. If you'd like me to make a Glossary chapter with all the Mando'a I've used so far and update it each chapter, let me know in the comments. 
> 
> I'm a big fan of Force-sensitive Mandalorians, and a lot of my interpretations of how they view the Force and their Force traditions are heavily inspired/borrowed from [ShaeTiann](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShaeTiann/pseuds/ShaeTiann), with their permission.
> 
> Finally, the idea of setting up a Discord server for this has been brought up to me. Would anyone be interested in that? 
> 
> Come scream with me on [Tumblr](https://fadinglight123.tumblr.com/).


	5. fracture points

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there are things Obi-Wan needs to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ......so this is very late. I meant to have this done weeks ago, but school started kicking my ass, and then I realized that something I was originally writing toward didn't make sense and had to go back to rewrite it. I'm already working on the next chapter and want to have it up ASAP to make up for how late this one is. We also _still_ didn't get to Mandalore this chapter because the characters decided that more conversations needed to happen, but we'll for sure get there next chapter. Seriously, it's already in my draft. So you have that to look forward to.
> 
> I also made a [Discord server](https://discord.gg/WZkv5Q9) for this.
> 
> I'm doing NaNoWriMo this year, so my update schedule might get a bit screwy in November, but I'm going to do my best to have stuff ready for you guys. 
> 
> **!!!!!!!! CHAPTER WARNINGS !!!!!!!!!!**
> 
> There are allusions to child torture and starvation and the effects of malnutrition in this chapter, starting from "Nothing had been too surprising." and ending at "Even with their limited options, the _verd'e_ were determined..."
> 
> More allusions to torture happen throughout Obi-Wan's perspective, though nothing explicit. 
> 
> There is also a brief depiction of a panic attack, beginning at "Obi-Wan cut himself off, sucking in a shaky breath." and ending at "He didn't know how long it had been when the ringing finally faded..."
> 
> A massive thank you to [nerdytransguy](https://nerdytransguy.tumblr.com/) and [Cuzosu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cuzosu/pseuds/Cuzosu) for sticking with this and beta-ing the multiple iterations this chapter went through. Y'all are the best.

**Hyperspace, aboard a Mandalorian dropship en route to Mandalore**

They were a day out from Mandalore when Cassony cleared her throat to speak during midmeal in the galley. 

“Obi-Wan,” she said, voice calm and quieter than usual. “Have you got a minute to talk?” 

She did her best not to wince at the way the child froze as she addressed him, spoon halfway to his mouth. She could feel surprise and fear leaking from him.

“After you finish eating, I mean,” she hurried to assure him. _Calm,_ she reminded herself. _Calm and reassuring. You can do this._ “I just want to...well. Things will probably be very different from what you’re used to on Mandalore. I thought it might be easier for you if you had an idea of what to expect when we arrive.” 

The way the tension slowly seeped out of his frame at her explanation was gratifying. 

“Oh...okay. Yes, I’d appreciate that,” he replied quietly. Cassony exhaled quietly, offering the boy a smile. When Obi-Wan returned it, albeit hesitantly, she felt her chest light up with warmth. She ignored the smirks she could see being sent her way in her peripheral vision. Her entire crew had taken to teasing her about whether she planned to adopt the boy. She was lucky they hadn’t done it when Obi-Wan was in earshot, yet. 

“Finish eating, _ad’ika,”_ she prompted, sitting back and nodding at his bowl. “You need the calories right now, and we’ve got time.” 

She didn’t even try to fight the amused smile pulling at the corners of her mouth as he went back to slowly spooning the stew into his mouth. It wasn’t as spicy as _tiingilar[1] _\- in fact, it was one of the milder dishes their rations would make. But she knew, even with their attempts to make Obi-Wan’s portions less spicy than what the rest of them preferred, it still probably had far more spice than he was used to.

The first meal he’d shared with them after leaving Bandomeer had been a learning experience for all involved. They were all eager to get some real food in the kid once things had settled down enough for them to get a good look at him. One of the other _Haat’ade_ had herded him off to the small medbay they had onboard to be given a more serious physical by their most experienced combat medic while Cassony was kept busy with debriefing Jaster and coordinating their return to _Manda’yaim_. She was grateful her people had made sure he was taken care of. Outside of combat, Tolruc was a gentle giant of a Nautolan, and had a gift for soothing even the most on-edge patients in his care. She’d been quietly relieved when Tono had told her Obi-Wan was in his care, trusting the man implicitly with the care of the traumatized foundling. 

Her trust had not been unfounded. He’d come to find her shortly after she finished her call with Mina to give her a report on what he’d found. 

Nothing had been too surprising. She felt a reflection of her own rage in Tolruc as he quietly described the bruises and cuts that littered Obi-Wan’s body. Even worse were the burns. She’d expected evidence of electrical burns after seeing the shock-batons the guards carried. But he had longer, thin burns across his back that Tolruc told her were too meticulously placed to be anything but deliberate. She’d had to fight the urge to put her fist through a wall at that, and the Nautolan was clearly in a similar state. 

None of his injuries were life-threatening, thank the _ka’ra._ Tolruc suspected there were some nasty bruises on the kid’s ribs and he couldn’t do anything for the burns that were already turning to scars. But a bacta injection would help the ribs heal, and the worst of the bruising would be gone within days thanks to a thin layer of bacta gel. 

The real concern was the malnutrition. 

She’d known from the moment she’d caught him and lifted him back up to the platform that Obi-Wan was unhealthily light, especially for a human teenager. The way he’d been practically swimming in the clothes they found for him to change into only emphasized how skinny and...almost fragile he looked. Tolruc had confirmed that he was underweight and that whatever food he’d been getting in his time on that rig, it had been giving him the bare minimum of nutrients; he had extremely low levels of several nutrients key for humans. It was a minor miracle that he wasn’t in a worse state; Tolruc had been worried he’d need to confine him to the medbay and get an IV drip in him when he first got a look at him. And even with prompt treatment, Obi-Wan would be feeling the physical effects of his time there for years to come, let alone the mental and emotional scars. 

It all made Cassony wish they’d taken a few of the _hut’uune[2] _ as prisoners. She _ached_ to punish them for what they’d done, to Obi-Wan and to all the prisoners they’d found there. Instead, she made a mental note to make sure either she or Mina were kept in the know and involved in any missions to chase down the _Darjetii[3] _ Jaster had mentioned. 

The silver lining in the report on Obi-Wan’s condition was that the _Haat’ade_ had experience treating malnutrition in children after so many years plucking them from battlefields and slums across the galaxy. Granted, it was a simple treatment for now, with their medbay being rather limited and them only a few days out from _Manda’yaim_ , but Tolruc planned to monitor the process and make sure his nutrient levels got back to healthy amounts as soon as possible even after they got home, declaring his intent to coordinate with any other _baar’ure[4] _ that worked with the kid. 

Word had spread quickly to the rest of the _verd’e_ and they’d been quick to throw together a meal, eager to help start the process of getting the foundling back into proper health. It hadn’t been a particularly fancy meal, or even a large one; that would be saved for when they were back on _Manda’yaim_ and he was in good enough health to enjoy the customary celebration of a new foundling. The galley aboard the dropship was decently stocked, but they were still limited to ration packs and simple fare, which was for the best, really, since Tolruc had made it clear that after so long getting little food, Obi-Wan would need time to adjust before he’d be ready for heavier foods again. They’d had a strict list of instructions on what foods were okay for the time being. 

Even with their limited options, the _verd’e_ were determined to make sure Obi-Wan’s first meal in freedom wasn’t just flavorless broth. 

They’d succeeded in that, at least. But in their eagerness, when they were adding spices they’d forgotten that Obi-Wan wasn’t from Mandalore and thus was unaccustomed to the spice they’d either grown up with or had had time to adjust to. On top of that, he’d spent months in slavery, being fed only enough food to keep him from dying of starvation, let alone anything with actual flavor. 

Overall, the meal could have gone much worse. Even though he obviously desperately wanted to scarf the food down as soon as it was placed in front of him, he followed the firm instructions from Tolruc, relayed through Cassony, to take it slow. His first bite had still been a fairly large one, but it was slow. It must have taken a few moments for the spiciness to register, because at first he seemed perfectly fine, even enjoying the taste. Then, the mouth-burn had hit. His eyes had widened and started watering and his face had gone a rather alarming shade of red as he seemed to choke. 

At first, there’d been a small panic, thinking that they’d stumbled across an obscure allergy or intolerance that Tolruc had managed to miss in his exam. Cassony was Mando enough to admit that she’d been among the ones panicking. The entire group of them had bundled him back to the medbay in spite of his attempts to protest, shouting over one another and calling frantically for a bewildered Tolruc all the while. 

It had taken Obi-Wan, still red-faced and panting, managing to choke out _“Hot!”_ for them to realize what was wrong. 

Tolruc had angrily ranted at them about keeping a cool head under pressure, not upsetting his patients, and “not overloading the kid with spices when I _just karking told you_ he has to be careful what he eats right now!” while Obi-Wan sipped at some blue-milk behind him. The look of quiet bemusement on his face and the subtle way he seemed more relaxed afterward had made the embarrassment of being chewed out by her medic worth it. 

The way he’d eased even further, looking comfortable for the first time since they’d found him, after Cassus and Zulia had apologized profusely for making the soup so spicy had eased something in her chest. Feeling his presence unfold, just a little, from behind the walls he’d hastily put up when the cuffs came up brought a smile to her face. Obi-Wan had insisted (in his own, awkwardly mild-mannered way) that they not remake the soup, instead eating it all in small, slow spoonfuls. Tolruc had even grudgingly admitted, once he’d joined them, that the spice seemed to be an effective way to make sure he ate slowly and didn’t overwhelm himself and make himself sick. He still advised them to limit the spices put in the kid’s portions going forward, though. 

Obi-Wan had winced his way through it in parts and needed plenty of water and blue-milk, but he’d finished every bit of his portion. It was only Tolruc’s strict orders about portioning that kept them from offering him another helping; she thought he might ask for more anyway, and had braced herself to have to deny him. He’d opened his mouth after finishing, but visibly hesitated before just closing his mouth and sitting quietly. She’d had to resist the urge to offer him more, in spite of Tolruc’s orders. 

No wonder everyone was making fun of her if she was already being so soft with the kid. 

Today’s meals had gone smoother than that first one, luckily. Obi-Wan was still taking small bites, even with the dialed back spices, but he seemed to enjoy the flavor all the same. Or if he didn’t he was hiding it. She tried not to think about how he’d been on that hellhole long enough that food with any taste at all was probably a little overwhelming. She was doing her best to keep her anger at what had happened to him under control. No need for him to pick up on it. She didn’t want to inadvertently scare him after he’d started to loosen up. 

He’d still seemed relaxed today, even after the nightmares she’d heard wake him up, until she’d asked to speak to him. She had noticed how his presence had dimmed down again as he pushed the walls up. Cassony winced, regretting that her words had put some of that tension from before back in his frame. Her explanation for what she wanted to talk about had helped, but she could tell he was still tense. Nothing to do about it now but move forward and hope that talking with him about what to expect would ease some of that remaining tension. 

For now, though, she’d let him eat. 

* * *

Obi-Wan hadn’t even noticed he’d been relaxing his shielding until Cassony had asked to talk and he’d reflexively went to strengthen his shields to hide his anxiety, only to find them barely there. He’d panicked, paranoia kicking in as he hastily shoved them back into place. 

Back in the creche, he’d been told he had a tendency to project, unconsciously dropping his shields and pushing his emotions out into the spaces around him. More than once, he’d been described as loud in the Force, as if he were shouting for his thoughts and feelings to be heard in an otherwise quiet room. It meant he was open to the Force in a way most of his crechemates were not, visions coming to him with uncommon frequency and intensity. It also meant he would inadvertently press his own mind against those around him in a way most of them found...uncomfortable. When his emotions were especially strong, they’d leak out around him no matter how he tried to tamp down on them. The fact that the other boy could always tell when he’d managed to upset him certainly hadn’t helped matters with Bruck. 

It had taken several years of practicing with the creche-masters and teachers to keep his shields up even when he wasn’t actively thinking about it. And now, 6 months disconnected from the Force and he was back to square one. Or worse. He couldn’t remember a time when he’d been barely able to hold up shields at all. It had come so naturally. But whatever Xanatos had done, it had-

No. Not now.

He was reasonably sure the Mandalorians couldn’t feel him, or else he probably would have been in big trouble as soon as those cuffs had come off. Even so, once he became aware of the gap in his defenses, of how his feelings were probably leaking out into the Force around him, he couldn’t not notice it. 

He’d spent so long cut off from the Force, his shields were...he was doing his best to keep them up now, to keep his mind contained and not leaking out all around. But he could still feel some of it getting through, his emotions slipping through the cracks in his defenses and the minds of those around him pressing in. It took all his effort not to let the sensation fill him with anxiety. He longed to meditate, that brief experience earlier of sinking into the Force was not nearly enough, but he didn’t dare do it here on this ship again. Hopefully, once they arrived on Mandalore he’d be able to sneak away and find that sensation of peace. 

For now, though, he’d have to pay attention to his shields and put in the extra effort to make sure they stayed up. He didn’t think the Mandalorians here could feel the way his emotions were spreading out past the barriers of his mind. As long as he didn’t do anything too Jedi-like, they’d have no reason to suspect he used to be part of the Order. But whether the Mandalorians could feel him or not, the thought of leaving his mind so open made him freeze with fear, sense memories of a foreign presence rampaging through his mind when he had no way to defend himself popping up even as he tried desperately to banish them. He’d barely slept the night before, nightmares and paranoia over his vulnerability keeping him awake. 

“Are you finished?” 

Cassony’s question startled Obi-Wan from his reverie. He looked down, blinking in surprise when he noticed his bowl was indeed empty. He grimaced to himself; zoning out like this while trying to defend his mind would only leave him vulnerable in another way. He couldn’t afford to have people start asking questions about it. 

“Yes,” he replied quietly. “I’m finished.” 

Cassony stood, gesturing for him to stay where he was as she took care of the bowl and utensils he used. Obi-Wan used the opportunity it provided to try and shore up his shields again. He hastily focused back on her when she settled across from him again. A few other Mandalorians were milling about, but for the most part, they were being given space to talk. 

“Alright,” she began. “Would you rather I give you a basic rundown on what to expect and then answer any questions or do you want to get any questions you have out of the way first?” 

Obi-Wan hesitated, his mind spinning a little as he tried to think over the question. After a moment, he shrugged a little helplessly. 

“Okay. I’ll explain things, then. If you think of something to ask, feel free to interrupt me, ok?” she told him gently. “This is meant to make you comfortable, make the transition a little easier.” 

He nodded. “Ok.” 

“Good. Now let’s see, where to start…while you’re with us, you’ll be living with the other foundlings. Children,” she clarified. “Like you, who haven’t been adopted by one specific family for one reason or another. It’s a whole house of you, but adults from within House Mereel will take turns being responsible for the place. You’ll always have someone around to go to if you need something.” 

Obi-Wan nodded to show his understanding, hesitating before asking what was on the forefront of his mind. “How long can I stay there?” Emotions flickered across Cassony’s face too fast for him to attempt to interpret before her expression softened and she offered him a gentle smile. 

“You can stay with us as long as you’d like. To Mandalorians, ad’e-- _children_ are precious. We have more than enough to be able to take care of you. We won’t turn you out on your own. If you want, you can stay with us permanently.” She paused for a moment before continuing. “If you do decide to leave, though, you will always have a place should you need one or wish to come back.” 

Obi-Wan gaped at her. “But- But I’m not one of you, I’m not from Mandalore! I’m-” 

She cut his rambling off with a shrug. “Neither was I.” 

“...what?” 

“I wasn’t born on Mandalore,” she replied easily. “I was found as a child, when I was a bit younger than you, and claimed as a foundling.” Her lips quirked up in a smile. “Where we’re from isn’t what makes us Mandalorian. There’s more to it than that. For many of us, we were offered a place to stay, a family if we wanted one. Someplace to grow and learn, until we could take care of ourselves. And we were given the option to stay, permanently, just like I’m giving you. Ilvokk was a foundling too, and Mosori joined us after she was technically already an adult. There’s more to family than blood for us, understand?” 

Obi-Wan nodded slowly, mind reeling. This was already so very different from what he was expecting. But at the same time it was familiar, in its own way.

She smiled reassuringly. “I know it can be a bit overwhelming at first. You’ll see once we get there, though. And if you decide you don’t want to stay down the line, we won’t force you. Our way of life isn’t for everyone.” 

“Ok…” 

She nodded, before continuing her explanation. “You’ll be with kids from all different ages. Last I checked, there were maybe a dozen foundlings there. A couple are a little older than you and there’s several younger than you as well. There’s even a few who are adults but haven’t quite got to a point where they’re ready to set up their own homes and are staying in little offshoots. They tend to help keep the place running when they’re around.” 

“You’re young enough still that you’ll have fairly structured days and be expected to listen to the adults around you. Usually it’s some combination of lesson modules, physical training or practical skill lessons, and chores, but there won’t really be a set schedule from week-to-week. What tasks you have for the day will depend on who your _cabur_ is.” She paused, seeming to read his confusion. “Sorry, I’m used to using the Mando’a to talk about a lot of this. _Cabur_ means guardian. It’s what we call whoever is in charge of watching over the foundlings.” 

Obi-Wan nodded slowly. _Cabur_. Guardian. He’d remember that. 

“Actually, that segues into my next point. Here,” she said, pulling out a datapad and sliding it across the table to him. Obi-Wan picked it up slowly. “It’s got Mando’a modules on it, plus a few assessments in other topics, just to see where you’re at. There’s no rush to do any of them now, but I figured you should have it. Might be something to help pass time while we’re in transit. Getting a start on the Mando’a at least will probably help you. Everyone on the ship speaks Basic, but there are plenty of people on Mandalore whose first language was Mando’a. It’ll make it easier for you to communicate if you learn it, especially if you decide to stay with us. The sooner you start, the easier it’ll become.” 

Obi-Wan nodded. “I can do that.” So far, everything made sense. It would take some getting used to, but there was nothing too terribly different. He could blend in, keep his head down for as long as he could. Until he was sure they were safe.

“Ok. Good. If you need help with any of it, let me-or anyone, really-know.” She paused, murmuring under her breath. “Housing, training, datapad...alright. When we get there, Tolruc’s going to want to get you into a clinic for a proper medical exam as soon as possible. Our equipment is a little limited here, and we’d all feel better if we knew for sure we weren’t missing any injuries that need to be treated. He’s also going to be helping oversee your nutrition program, make sure you get back to a healthy weight without hurting yourself. Your _cabur_ will always be given a list of what you need and what you aren’t allowed to eat yet.” Cassony grimaced a little before turning it into a small smile. “You’ll have to regularly go to the clinic for checkups for a while, so. You’ll probably get to know plenty of the _baar’ure.”_

“Are those...the doctors?” 

She grinned at him. “That’s right. Good catch.” Her smile faltered and she visibly hesitated. He felt his anxiety ratcheting up and tensed up, trying to shore up his shields, now that he’d caught them slipping again. She rallied herself, looking him firmly in the eye. “You’re also going to be joining a...we call it a _mirjahaal’tsad.[5] _ It’s basically...it’s a support group. Therapy. You’ll be with a group of people, all ages, and the group will be led by a community member, usually someone who’s retired from the supercommandos.” 

There was a ringing in his ears. 

“I- What?” he croaked out. “Why?” 

She sighed. “Obi-Wan. You’ve been through something very traumatic. What you went through on that rig...it doesn’t just leave physical wounds. It leaves mental and emotional ones as well. And wounds need to be treated to heal. Going to this is part of that. You need to work through what happened, with people who can help.” 

“But I don’t- I _can’t-!”_ Obi-Wan cut himself off, sucking in a shaky breath. He couldn’t talk about what happened. Not truly. Not without revealing what he was. And more than that...talking about what happened...what Xanatos did...thinking about what he’d done-! The thought of it made him shudder and shrink into himself. The ringing in his ears grew louder. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried desperately to calm his breathing, to make no noise, not a single sound, don’t move or he’d draw attention, become a target he had to stay _still_ no matter what _-!_

He didn’t know how long it had been when the ringing finally faded and he could finally register his other senses. Opening his eyes, he found Cassony kneeling down in front of him. She wasn’t touching him, a few feet distance between them. She was quiet now, just watching him, but...he thought she might have been murmuring to him, comfort and gentle instructions. She was radiating something soothing and calm-and the realization that he could feel her in the Force, that in his panic he’d let his shields slip _again,_ made him reach desperately to pull them back up. But he was exhausted and couldn’t quite seem to grasp them enough to wall himself off again. 

Cassony just kept radiating that same sense of calm, though, and eventually he felt himself respond to it, relaxing out of the ball he’d half-curled into. She watched him, something sad in her eyes, that soothing feeling never leaving. 

“...you won’t be forced to talk if you aren’t ready, _ad’ika_ . You can open up at your own pace, just like you have been. But you need to go, to learn how to handle episodes like that. Get support from people who are experiencing the same thing, who understand. You won’t be alone. Every foundling attends these meetings when they arrive. So do people who have been away on hard, dangerous missions, or who have experienced something like you. It’s part of how we bring people into the community as much as it is a treatment. No one will judge you for struggling. _Haat, ijaa, haa’it.[6] _ I promise. Ok?” 

He sucked in a deep breath, then slowly let it out. “...Ok.” 

She nodded. “If you’d prefer to see someone alone to help you work through this, that can be arranged, but...I think talking in a group, getting advice and support from people who have been there, will help.” 

He bit his lip. He wasn’t quite so sure about that but...he didn’t have the energy to argue. And seeing someone alone would be worse. If he wouldn’t be forced to talk...he could live with it. He’d show up. It didn’t sound like he had a choice in that, anyway.

* * *

Cassony watched Obi-Wan carefully as she stood and forced herself to return to her seat. It was taking all her discipline to not just. Bundle the kid up after that episode. She ached to reach out and comfort him, could feel that desire echoed in the other _mando’ade_ still milling about on the outskirts of the room. They were doing their best to make their presence unobtrusive, but none of them were making any moves to leave. Not that she could blame them, after what had just happened. 

Cassony had known the boy probably wouldn’t respond well to the idea of a _mirjahaal’tsad._ Had expected him to panic a little, even. But _ka’ra_ ... _nothing_ could have prepared her for the way she’d suddenly been practically choking on his agony and fear as it filled the room. For how he’d gone completely unresponsive, locked in some terrible memory. 

She’d been out of her seat in an instant, trying to draw him out of it, as she heard those who had been in the room already react to the sensation, even those less sensitive to the _Manda’s_ call able to pick him up on the child’s distress. There’d been cursing and voices raising as they talked over another, the feeling of their concern and panic ratcheting up as more people came crashing into the galley, no doubt sensing the same thing. 

_“Gev!”[7] _ she ordered, voice forcibly calm and authoritative as they started to crowd around him, some looking as if they were about to reach out to touch the cowering foundling. “Don’t crowd him! Everyone back the kriff up and lock it down!” 

She’d felt the way they reluctantly backed off and tamped down on their concern, giving her the ability to focus her attention on Obi-Wan. When he’d finally come out of his episode, a few long minutes later, the relief nearly bowled her over.

The relief that he wouldn’t be arguing against attending the group, at least for now, was also sweeping through her, though she did her best not to let it show. He desperately needed to see someone. Even now that he was calm again, she could feel how raw his presence was. It hadn’t gone back to how muted it was before, but that only meant she could feel the edges of the pain he was still in, the shaky fear still clinging to him as the adrenaline crash left him exhausted. It was...horrifying, feeling that kind of damage in the mind of someone so young. 

The thought of Myles, only a little older than Obi-Wan, going through something that could make his mind feel like that filled her with horror and an instinctive drive to protect her _ad._ If she hadn’t intended to offer that same protection to Obi-Wan before, she definitely would now. 

“Ok...ok.” Rallying herself, Cassony decided to press on. She was drained, the strain of keeping calm in the face of that eating at her, but there was more they needed to go over. 

“When we get there, unless there’s other urgent business to attend to, we’ll all be greeted by the _Mand’alor_ -the leader of our people-Jaster Mereel. It’s customary for foundlings to be introduced to Clan and House leaders as soon as possible, and Jaster likes to personally welcome newcomers. It won’t be anything formal,” she hurried to explain, seeing how his eyes were widening. “just simple introductions. We aren’t much for ceremony. You’ll have lots of people wanting to get to know you, welcome you in. Once the medics decide you’re well enough for it, there’ll be a kind of welcome feast. Again, nothing formal, just the community coming together for an excuse to relax and make good food and interact.” 

“A feast?” Obi-Wan repeated slowly. “Just...to welcome me?” 

Ah. How to explain this without overwhelming him again…

“I told you before children are important to Mandalorians. So is family. Community. It will ostensibly be for you, yes. But it’s good for everyone else, too, a chance to unwind. It’s...a little hard to explain; you’ll see what it’s like soon enough. But it’s part of how we establish and maintain bonds, part of what ties us all together.” 

He nodded. She relaxed a little when he didn’t tense up or begin to panic again. 

“Alright. One last thing. I said before, we’re not big on ceremony, but we do still have laws. There is a vow I need to say to officially claim you as a foundling. When I do, you’ll legally be under the care of House Mereel. Okay?” 

He tilted his head. “You just have to...say something? No...flimsiwork or anything? Just words and it’s done?” 

She shrugged one shoulder, a smile flickering across her face. She supposed it would sound a little strange to someone unused to their customs. 

“When we get there you’ll get officially placed on our records. But all it takes for it to be considered legal on Mandalore is the vow, yes.” 

“...Alright. Go ahead.” 

She smiled, standing and moving until she was in front of him again. 

“Obi-Wan Kenobi,” she began solemnly, “ _Ni kar’tayl gai kirman’ad be Aliit Mereel. Mando’ad.”[8] _

The _Manda_ sang as she completed the vow, that fledging bond she felt tying her to Obi-Wan strengthening just a little. Absently, she noted some of the others react to it as well as he was pulled more firmly into the orbit of their bonds. She’d never stop feeling a sense of wonder at how the act of saying these vows seemed to solidify the connection she felt to her _vod’e._

“Would you like me to translate for you?” Cassony asked him after basking in the sensation for a moment. 

He nodded. “Yes, please.”

She smiled at him. “I know your name as a child of House Mereel. As a child of Mandalore.” 

A part of her had wanted to recite the _Gai bal Manda[9] _ and adopt him as her own child here and now. But she knew he wouldn’t respond well to that. Even mentioning the possibility would stress him out, and she didn’t want to do that any more today. He wasn’t ready for it. Not yet. 

Soon, she hoped, he would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Mando'a Translations**
> 
> 1 _tiingilar_ \- spicy Mandalorian casserole dish[return to text]
> 
> 2 _hut'uune_ \- coward, a grave insult to Mandalorians; plural form of hut'uun[return to text]
> 
> 3 _Darjetii_ \- Sith[return to text]
> 
> 4 _baar'ure_ \- doctors, medics[return to text]
> 
> 5 _mirjahaal'tsad_ \- therapy group; my own creation from "mirjahaal" for peace of mind and emotional healing after trauma, and "tsad" for group[return to text]
> 
> 6 _Haat, ijaa, haa'it_ \- lit. "Truth, honor, vision"; used to seal a pact or make a promise[return to text]
> 
> 7 _Gev_ \- stop it; pack it in
> 
> 8 _Ni kar'tayl gai kirman'ad be Aliit Mereel. Mando'ad._ \- this is translated in the story, but it's my own adaptation of the traditional adoption vows for those taken in as clan foundlings rather than adopted by one specific family for various reasons; kirman'ad comes from "kirmanir", to adopt
> 
> 9 _Gai bal Manda_ \- traditional adoption vows said from parent to child; "Ni kartayl gai sa'ad", lit. "I know your name as my child"
> 
> Come scream with me on [Tumblr](https://fadinglight123.tumblr.com/) or in the [Discord](https://discord.gg/WZkv5Q9).


	6. arrivals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Myles eagerly awaits the return of his _buir_ and the foundling she picked up, while Obi-Wan frets over what lies ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've finally made it Mandalore! ~~It only took 3 more chapters than I initially planned for~~ Finding the right voice to write this chapter from was a bit more of a challenge than I anticipated, but it was very fun to write once I settled on one. Hope you all enjoy! 
> 
> Thanks as always to [nerdytransguy](https://nerdytransguy.tumblr.com/) and [Cuzosu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cuzosu/pseuds/Cuzosu) for beta-ing, and a big shoutout to [reyiosa](https://reyiosa.tumblr.com/) for making me a playlist of instrumental music to help stir the muses into cooperating.

**The landing pad outside Keldabe, Mandalore**

Myles stared up at the sky, bouncing on the balls of his feet. He knew it would be a little while yet before the dropships carrying his buir were even breaking atmo, let alone in view from the ground. That didn’t stop him from feeling incredibly impatient. 

_ “My’ika.” [1] _ He turned to look at his _buir_ when she called his name. “Relax, _ad’ika._ Pacing won’t get them here any faster.” He sheepishly returned to her side. He hadn’t realized he’d begun pacing as he waited. 

He had been hovering near _ Min’buir [2] _ for most of the morning, not outright following her or anything, just. Doing some of his lesson modules and chores nearby. He knew she’d be one of the first to know that _Cas’buir [2] _ was almost home. He’d hear about it soon after either way, but if being nearby cut down on the time it took for the gossip to reach him, he didn’t see the harm in sticking close. When she’d finally emerged and started to head down to the airfield, he’d joined her after sending a message to Jango about missing training. One missed lesson wouldn’t hurt. Besides, no one would blame him for wanting to be there to greet his _buir_. 

This mission wasn’t the longest either of his moms had been away by any means. He could remember a few missions that had lasted a couple tendays. He was accustomed to them being gone for extended periods of time, knew that it was their job, part of the reality of their positions as supercommandos and trusted members of Jaster’s team. The Mand’alor relied on both his _buir’e_ , the same way Myles relied on Jango and Silas during drills. He understood that they had a duty to the rest of the Haat’ade and that that duty would take them away from Manda’yaim. He was proud his buir’e performed their duty with pride, never complaining. He’d taken their example to heart. 

Didn’t mean he didn’t miss them when either of them was gone. 

They always tried to have at least a few tendays where both would be home in between missions when he was still a kid. Now that he was 14, about to turn 15, and taking part in his _ verd’goten [3] _, earning the armor that would mark him as a full adult when he completed it, those gaps were starting to shrink. Soon, he’d be the one flying out on missions while one or both of them stayed behind. He wanted to make the most of the time they had before then. 

He was also, admittedly, anxious for the crew to arrive for another reason this time. 

A foundling. _Cas’buir_ was bringing a foundling, one not much younger than Myles himself. 

Myles was a bit of an anomaly among the Haat’ade children and teens. Most of his friends and family had siblings. His _buir’e_ had always said that he was enough for them, that if the Manda willed them to have another child in their family, it would bring them one when the time was right. He’d never pressed them for a more solid answer than that; after all, it wasn’t like he had lacked for companions growing up. Between the many cousins he grew up living and sharing space with, the rest of Clan Tille all within easy reach, and the close friends he’d found among the other _Haat’ade_ his age, he had plenty of people to spend his time with. 

The idea of having a sibling, a _vod’ika[4] _ to help mentor in the ways of their people, was still exciting for him. 

_Min’buir_ had been pleased, and a little amused, at his excitement at the idea of being an _ori’vod [5]_. But she’d also cautioned that he’d need to have a bit of patience. His _buir’e_ had every intention of offering the boy _Cas’buir_ had found a place in their family. From the way she’d spoken, it sounded like they were both more than a little eager to say the _Gai bal Manda_ as soon as possible. But the foundling (Obi-Wan, she’d said his name was Obi-Wan) had been in a bad way and he was still suffering from his experiences. 

That wasn’t too uncommon. Myles had grown up spending time with the _kirman’ade [6]_. He remembered how jumpy Riva had been when he’d first arrived on _Manda’yaim [7]_. Hells, he remembered how _Jango_ had been. His best friend had grown up on Concord Dawn, raised in a culture very similar to what the _Haat’ade_ shared. He’d already spoken _Mando’a_ , even if his dialect was different from what Myles had grown up speaking. He’d had an easy time, comparatively, adjusting to living with Jaster and the rest of the _Haat’ade_ when he’d been taken in and adopted by the _Mand’alor._ And even with the familiarity of a culture similar to that of his birth, he’d still been...jumpy. Sad and angry and a little messed up in a way that only time and the recovery of Arla had healed. 

He hadn’t known the specifics of the mission his _buir_ had gone on when she left, he rarely did. But _Min’buir_ had filled him in on the place Obi-Wan had been found. He shuddered in horror at the thought of any kid his age being trapped for so long in such a place. The fact that his (possible!) _vod’ika_ had even survived as long as he did was impressive. He’d listened quietly as his _buir_ had told him more about what the kid had gone through and how he’d taken the first opportunity to try and free himself and fight when _Cas’buir_ and the other _Haat’ade_ had assaulted the rig where he’d been kept. Obi-Wan obviously had spirit; _Cas’buir_ wouldn’t have been so interested in bringing him back with her and eventually adopting him if he wasn’t _mandokarla._ Still...he’d been through hell. His _buir_ had commed late the evening before at one point and told them more about the condition he was in. Mentally and physically. 

Myles still thought that offering him a place in their family and clan might do him good, the same way Jaster’s quick adoption of Jango had helped him. But the kid was obviously in a very fragile headspace. Whatever he’d been through that had sent him into a panic attack at the very thought of talking about it in a _mirjahaal’tsad[8] _ had left him shaky. He could admit that maybe throwing him headfirst into the well-meaning but chaotic heart of Clan Tille would probably not help. He trusted his _buir’s_ judgment. If Obi-Wan needed time to get settled, he could be there to at least help with that part, same as he had with Jango. 

Besides, the other foundlings were a decent group. Being around people who had come to the _Haat’ade_ from similar situations would be helpful. One way or another, Obi-Wan would find a place somewhere among the _Haat’ade._ If Myles put in the extra effort to get to know him early, well...his _buir_ had a claim on Obi-Wan; it was only polite for Myles to introduce himself. He would at least get a new friend out of it, if for some reason Obi-Wan decided not to agree to the offer of the _Gai bal Manda_ from his moms _._

Myles was broken from his reverie again by his _buir_ calling out, though not to him this time.

_“Mand’alor!”_

He turned to see her saluting Jaster with her arm across her chest. And walking alongside the _Mand’alor_ was- 

“Jango?” Myles blurted out. “What are you doing here?” 

His best friend rolled his eyes at him as he sauntered up. “Coming to meet the new kid. What else? It was only all you talked about yesterday.” 

Myles opened his mouth to protest this, but thinking back...yeah, he had rambled about possibly getting a sibling for a while. Jango, in a rare show of patience, had actually let him ramble the entire time without telling him to shut up. Even when he’d started agonizing over how to go about greeting him for the first time and what kind of first impression he’d make, Jango had sat and listened; of course, he’d eventually told Myles that he was being stupid and worrying over nothing, but even that had been gentler than his usual bluntness. 

“Wait, but don’t you have-” He cut himself off.

“Training?” Jango finished. “Technically, yeah. But I’m already doing well enough with blasters that it’s not a big deal if I miss one.” 

Myles furrowed his brow, confused. “Blasters? We have hand-to-hand today.”

Jango leveled him with a distinctly unimpressed look, which Myles felt was a little uncalled for. “No, we’ve got blaster practice today. _”_

“Since when?”

“Since, like, two rotations ago.” Jango rolled his eyes, exasperated. “Myles, _you_ were the one who told me this. Mina was supposed to be running hand-to-hand training today, but traded shifts when you got word of when Cassony would be getting back.” 

Myles paused, racking his brain and remembering that his buir had, indeed, told him she’d be trading her shift of running training to a different day, and that he had then told his friends about the change. 

“...Riiiiiiiiiight.” 

Jango smirked. “You forgot, didn’t you?” 

“Shut up!” Myles shoved at him playfully. “I was a little preoccupied.” 

“I know,” Jango grinned crookedly at him. “You had something a little more exciting than sparring with your _buir_ to focus on.” 

Myles shrugged and grinned, acknowledging the truth of that statement. The arrival of a new clan member _was_ a big deal. Even if there wasn’t a guarantee that Obi-Wan would in fact be joining Clan Tille. 

“Wait,” he said, another thought occurring to him. “You never skip training to meet newcomers! Especially not blaster training!” 

Jango shrugged, suddenly very interested in watching the skies. “Yeah, well. You were excited about this. And you spent so long telling me everything you knew about the kid, so...I was curious.” 

Myles stared at the younger boy. Jango wasn’t antisocial by any means. He was perfectly capable of making friends and could get along with most of the other _Haat’ade_ their age. But he usually wasn’t the type to go around trying to introduce himself and make new friends. He wasn’t unfriendly, he just tended to keep to himself. Partly because of his status as _ad be Mand’alor.[9] _ The attention it had brought him when he was first adopted had grated at him. Of the two of them, Myles was far more likely to actively try and get to know new people. So the fact that Jango was suddenly showing up with his _buir_ to meet the new foundling after Myles had clearly expressed his own excitement was...well. 

He grinned, slinging an arm around Jango’s shoulders. “I’m touched, _vod.” [10] _

“Shut up,” Jango muttered. The way he leaned into Myles betrayed the affection behind the words. “This is important to you. If the foundling is gonna be joining your clan, I want to meet him. Make a good impression. Since we’ll be seeing a bunch of each other anyway.” 

_“Awwww,_ look at you, trying to make friends with the new kid! I’m so proud!” He pinched Jango’s cheeks playfully. 

_“Kark_ you!” Jango laughed, shoving him off. Myles rammed into him with his shoulder, laughing and grinning. It quickly devolved into a shoving match as they each tried to wrestle the other into a headlock. 

“Boys!” Jaster called. “Save it for the training grounds.” 

They detached from each other a little guiltily.

“Sorry, _buir!”_ Jango called back, grinning sheepishly. 

The two of them trudged back over towards their parents. 

“About how long until they start descent, _buir?”_ Myles asked. 

“They just radioed in, so not long now. Should be in view within 5 minutes.” 

Myles grinned, starting to bounce excitedly on the balls of his feet at the news. _“Awesome!”_

Jango rolled his eyes, leaning over to press his hands on his shoulders and anchor him to the ground. “Stay still, _di’kut!”_

He scowled at his friend, but made a concerted effort to obey, gluing his eyes to the sky. 

It wasn’t much longer before he spotted the telltale sign of a dropship breaking atmo, quickly followed by one ship, and then another. 

“There they are!” He pointed up towards them, immediately beginning to bounce impatiently again as he followed their descent. This time, Jango didn’t bother trying to get him to stop. 

_“My’ika,”_ his _buir_ called. “Come here.” 

He scowled, looking away long enough to join her in standing behind and to the left of Jaster. Immediately, his eyes were glued back to the quickly approaching dropships. So close, now. Even with them visibly getting closer with every passing second, it still felt like ages until the dropships touched down, one after another. He could feel the pull towards the lead ship, the _Manda_ practically singing in happiness and excitement. He couldn’t always feel it the way _Cas’buir_ could, but he’d always been able to feel the connection tying him to his _buir’e_ . He could recognize the feeling of one of them finally coming home and being in close proximity after time away. He was practically vibrating in place holding himself back from running forward. Normally, it would be perfectly acceptable for him to approach first to greet his returning _buir_ , but this wasn’t just a homecoming for _Cas’buir_ and her squad. He did his best to remind himself of that as his frustration and impatience rose. 

Even with those mental reminders, it was still only _Min’buir’s_ hand clamping down on his shoulder that kept him in place as the first dropship’s door opened. 

* * *

**Inside a Mandalorian dropship,**

Obi-Wan fiddled with the hem of the tunic he’d been given. He’d grown steadily more nervous as they approached Mandalore. The slow descent from space down into the planet had been torturous. He’d tried not to let on just how anxious he felt, doing his best to lock down his mind, but the harder he tried to shield, the more seemed to leak through. He could tell he wasn’t quite successful at masking his growing agitation on his face or in his body language either because the Mandalorians strapped in around him had started sending more and more concerned looks his way. At least they didn’t actually say anything about it. He wasn’t sure what he would say if they asked him what was wrong. 

His shields were still very frail, and his efforts to shore them up were largely in vain. But at the very least, he could feel the Force through the gaps. He didn’t have the training to be able to listen to its currents for warnings the way Jedi Knights could (and the knowledge that he never would, that he’d lost all chances to ever become a Knight when the Order sent him away, still punched him in the gut each time he remembered it) but he remembered the way the Force had felt in the moments before Xanatos attacked. The change had been so stark and sudden it had nearly knocked him off balance. And he remembered the feeling of _wrongness_ as- as he’d been left on Bandomeer and sent to the Agricorps. He did his best to focus his awareness on the Force and listen for changes like that again. 

So far, the Mandalorians had been nothing but kind to him. But he’d seen the ruthless way they’d flown into battle. He remembered all the stories about what Mandalorians were capable of from the creche. Most of them were probably exaggerations, but he’d seen what they were capable of. If things were to suddenly change, the Force would likely be his only warning. Obi-Wan couldn’t...he _refused_ to be blindsided like that again. 

But the Force had remained quiet. If there was something bad waiting for him down there among the Mandalorians, the Force wasn’t warning him about it yet. 

There had been a building sense of anticipation from the moment they dropped out of hyperspace with the planet of Mandalore in view. It had taken Obi-Wan longer than he cared to admit to realize that it had come from the Mandalorians around him. Their excitement at returning home had pervaded the ship so much that Obi-Wan had had to retreat alone to the bunkroom and slip partially into meditation in order to sort through it all and find the Force underneath it all. 

It was strange. The sensation of their stronger emotions pressing out into the world around him had been unlike anything he’d experienced before. But even as they slipped past his own shields enough for him to sense it, it hadn’t felt wrong. Not the way he expected it to after what the Order had told him about projecting his own emotions. 

It could have just been because the emotions in question were positive and not particularly intense. There’d been anticipation, a kind of buzzing sensation in the back of his head that grew the closer they got to arriving, but it was...almost gentle. He’d briefly felt Cassony’s presence in the Force as she passed by where he was sitting, and while she was radiating the same anticipation as the others, she also had the sense of warmth and calm that always seemed to follow her around. 

She’d been busy most of the morning, going back and forth between the cockpit and comm calls with various people in preparation for their arrival. Still, she’d taken the time to tell him about what time they expected to arrive and to come fetch him when it was time to strap in for their descent to the surface. 

And now here they were. Moments away from the dropship doors opening. Moments away from...something. He wasn’t sure what. The Force had turned strange the closer they got to the ground. He’d almost panicked when he felt the change, but...it was different from Bandomeer. It didn’t feel like a warning, it felt...like a held breath. Anticipation. Like there was something important coming. 

Obi-Wan didn’t know what to make of that. He still wasn’t entirely sure that fear wasn’t a completely appropriate reaction. For now, he’d keep his guard up. 

“Are you ready?” 

He startled, the question breaking him from his reverie. He turned to see Cassony watching him with a small smile on her face. She nodded at the dropship door. 

“To go out there, I mean.” 

_No,_ a part of him screamed. _No, I’m not ready and I never will be, I’m a Jedi! I shouldn’t be here I shouldn’t be here, I-_

He sucked in a sharp breath as images from the dream he’d had on the rig flashed through his mind. The feeling of belonging, of _rightness,_ that permeated them made him ache. The Force nudged at his mind, an insistent feeling in its prodding. He slowly released the breath he’d been holding, locking down all those thoughts and emotions for later. He had nowhere else to go, now. And whatever path the Force was showing him in that vision, it started here. 

He nodded at Cassony, hoping the dread he could still feel brewing within wasn’t too obvious on his face. The Pantoran’s face didn’t change as she looked him over before nodding. If she noticed, it appeared she wouldn’t be calling him on it. He couldn’t help but feel a bit relieved about that. 

“Remember what I told you, Obi-Wan,” she said. Apparently, she decided not to let the moment pass without comment after all. “Jaster will be out there to greet you and acknowledge your place as a foundling within House Mereel. It’ll be quick and easy, and then we’ll get you squared away with the other foundlings. Nothing to worry about.” 

Obi-Wan nodded slowly. The easy calm Cassony projected and the reminder of her earlier explanation did help. In spite of himself, he found his shoulders relaxing just a little. 

Cassony flashed him one more smile before she turned and pressed the switch that opened the door and lowered the ramp. 

Obi-Wan squinted against the sudden brightness of the light. Even before his eyes adjusted, he could feel the sensation of multiple people focusing intently on him. He resisted the urge to shrink back out of view. It would do him no good to try and hide now. 

There were fewer people there than he’d feared. Maybe a dozen people in total were milling about and obviously there watching the dropships. But of those, there were only maybe 5 that seemed to focus on the ship he was on and they seemed to be splitting their attention between him and Cassony. It was truly unnerving how intensely Mandalorians could focus. If pressed before he was able to get a look, he’d have guessed there were about 10 people in the group focusing on him. 

He followed hesitantly after Cassony as she strode down the ramp. He could hear some of the others filing out behind him before splitting off to go their separate ways. Cassony led him towards a human man in silver armor with gold and red accents. Like Cassony, he carried his helmet under his arm as he stepped forward to meet them. Obi-Wan noted the red cape he wore, a detail missing from all of the armor he’d seen so far. The man had brown hair and skin a few shades darker than Obi-Wan’s own. He radiated confidence and power, but there was something warm about him that reminded Obi-Wan of Cassony’s presence. This could only be Jaster Mereel. There was a second person, a younger boy close in age to Obi-Wan, who stood a bit behind the man. He had some armor on, but it clearly wasn’t the full suit all the adults wore. 

He had only a moment to take them both in before Cassony was drawing to a halt a few feet away from them. Obi-Wan stopped a step behind her. 

_“Mand’alor,”_ she greeted, saluting by pressing her closed fist to her chest the way she’d shown Obi-Wan. 

_“Su cuy’gar,[11] _ Cassony,” the man replied, acknowledging the salute with a slight nod and a small, slightly crooked smile. They both reached out, clasping each other's forearms in what he assumed to be a greeting. 

He watched as Cassony pulled back, smiling easily at her leader. “Jaster, _Alor be Aliit Mereel[12], _ this is Obi-Wan Kenobi, _kirman’ad be Aliit Mereel.” [13] _

With that, she stepped to the side, gesturing for Obi-Wan to step forward as Jaster turned towards. Taking a deep breath he moved forward and pressed his arm into his own salute, just as she’d shown him. He desperately hoped that the shakiness he felt from his nerves wasn’t obvious. 

_“Mand’alor,”_ he greeted, the Mando’a still feeling foreign and clumsy on his tongue. 

The _Mand’alor_ smiled at him. _"_ _Olarom,_ Obi-Wan Kenobi.” _Welcome,_ he translated in his head. “My name is Jaster Mereel, _Mand'alor_ of the _Haat Mando’ade._ Cassony has told me much about you. I hope you will feel at home as a foundling of my people.” 

Obi-Wan swallowed heavily, stumbling just a little over his next words. _“Var-_ er, _Vor entye, Mand’alor,”[14] _ he said, quietly. He could feel himself flushing in embarrassment over his mistake. 

“You have no debt, Obi-Wan,” Jaster replied, voice firm but gentle. “ _Ade cuyi ori’jaon’yc._ Children are the most important thing. Any Mandalorian worthy of their name would have offered you the same thing Cassony did.” 

Obi-Wan paused before nodding slowly. That wasn’t the first time someone had said that since they’d left Bandomeer. 

Jaster gestured behind him as the boy, who’d been watching Obi-Wan and the exchange closely, stepped forward. 

“This is my son, Jango Fett.” 

Obi-Wan blinked. He felt the Force pulse strangely around him at the name. He tried to shake the sensation off, tugging at his shields and taking the chance to take in the boy before him. Aside from being human, he didn’t look much like Jaster at all, but Obi-Wan was beginning to understand that appearance didn’t matter much to Mandalorians when it came to family. He paused further as he suddenly registered how he felt familiar. Obi-Wan had _seen_ him before; his face had been hidden behind a helmet for most of it, the entire vision blurry and out of focus, but Obi-Wan remembered the presence the Force had shown him. He knew with a strange kind of certainty that this was definitely one of the boys from his vision. Was that why the Force had reacted that way? Why had it shown him the _Mand’alor’s_ son in the first place?

_“Olarom,”_ the other teen greeted, voice a little gruff. Obi-Wan blinked, broken from his reverie. “Uh. I hope you like it here.” 

“....hello,” he replied before wincing as the rest of what he’d said registered. “Thank you.” 

Jaster clasped his son’s shoulder, smiling at Obi-Wan and Cassony before glancing over his shoulder. “Now, then. I believe there are a couple more people eager to greet you.” 

As soon as the words left his mouth, one of the other figures who’d been observing rushed forward. Obi-Wan blinked, tensing and flinching back as a human-shaped blur practically crashed into Cassony. 

_“Su’cuy gar, buir!”_ The figure, a lanky human teen with brown skin and curly red hair said, grinning up at the Pantoran he had latched on to in a hug. 

Cassony laughed, wrapping an arm around him easily. _“Su cuy’gar, My’ika._ Miss me?” 

“Definitely not,” he joked, prompting snorts of laughter from everyone else, including a second figure, a human woman with similar skin and hair to the redhead. She moved easily to Cassony’s other side, a soft smile on her face. Cassony’s smile turned sweet to match. 

_“Su cuy’gar, Min’ika,”_ she said. 

_“Su cuy’gar, Cas’ika,”_ the woman replied. Obi-Wan watched as they moved easily into each other’s space, pressing their foreheads together gently and sharing a breath as their eyes closed. He stared, riveted by the trust and love that radiated from them. They only broke apart when the teenager started gagging dramatically. 

Laughing as she shoved playfully at the boy, Cassony turned back towards him. “Obi-Wan, this is my _riduur,_ Mina, and our son, Myles.” 

The woman--Mina--offered him a smile. “Hello, Obi-Wan. Welcome to Mandalore.” 

“Thank you,” Obi-Wan replied awkwardly. Meanwhile, the teen grinned and separated himself from Cassony as he turned towards Obi-Wan. 

_“Olarom,”_ he said, holding his hand out. “It’s good to meet you.” 

Obi-Wan paused, once again feeling a ringing kind of pulse in the Force. This time it was easy to recognize the second boy from his vision. The one he’d seen standing with two other figures, all in armor, the feeling of family radiating off of them a near physical thing. 

_What did it mean?_

Why had the Force shown him these people? Whose future had he been seeing? He thought the vision showed a path towards a new future for himself, why was he shown these people- 

Obi-Wan cut off his spiraling thoughts as he felt a mix of concern and curiosity brush his shields. He shuddered, withdrawing from the mental presence, and forced himself to be present in the moment. Cassony’s son was still watching him with his hand outstretched, though his smile had dimmed a little. 

He carefully reached out and tried to mimic what he’d seen Cassony and the _Mand’alor_ do earlier, grabbing the other boy by his forearm rather than his hand. Myles’s grip was more firm than he’d expected, but not painfully so. The other boy was grinning again, and Obi-Wan tried to smile back. He had the feeling it looked a little more like a grimace than a smile, though. 

Obi-Wan shifted uncomfortably as he drew back, unsure what happened next. After so long on the rig and then the days in the ship, being on solid ground out in the open, surrounded by people was pushing his already frayed nerves to their limits. There was a strange buzzing feeling in the air, and being around so many strange, new presences in the Force was only adding to the anxiety he could feel building. He pushed insistently at his shields, managing to block a little more of them out. At least he couldn’t feel them pressing in against him quite as much as before. 

The _Mand’alor_ cleared his throat and Obi-Wan’s eyes immediately snapped to him. He turned to face him a little more, Cassony and her family still in his peripheral vision. 

“Myles, Jango, would you mind taking Obi-Wan to get settled with the other foundlings?” he asked. 

“All due respect, _Mand’alor_ , but he’s not going anywhere until after he’s had a full exam in a proper medbay.” 

Obi-Wan jumped at the sudden voice before relaxing slightly. He hadn’t realized Tolruc had been behind him until the Nautolan had spoken. He winced a little at the idea of getting another physical, but the medic’s tone brooked no argument. He had the distinct feeling that he’d simply be picked up and carried to the nearest clinic if he made a fuss. 

“Once I’m satisfied my preliminary checks didn’t miss anything and that everything is healing nicely, the boys can show you where you’ll be staying,” Tolruc told him. Obi-Wan sighed but nodded. 

The _Mand’alor_ just smiled. “Of course, Tolruc. I’ll trust you to handle that, as always.” He looked at the other teenagers. “Help Obi-Wan settle in once the _baar’ure[15] _ have cleared him?” 

They both nodded. 

“Yes, _buir.”_

“Sure, Jaster!” 

Obi-Wan barely held in a flinch at the casual way Myles addressed his leader. But Jaster only smiled at all of them. 

“On your way, then. The sooner you go, the sooner you two,” and here he looked at Jango and Myles, “can get back to training.” 

They both made sounds of protest but trudged obediently after Tolruc when he started walking away towards a parked speeder. After another moment of hesitation, Obi-Wan followed after them. 

* * *

Mina watched as Myles and Jango instantly fell in beside Obi-Wan, her son chattering away and likely doing his level best to befriend him. She smiled to herself, knowing how excited he’d been at the prospect of having a sibling. 

Obi-Wan could likely use the support. He’d been jumpy, hanging back from all of them. She’d seen how he’d spooked when Tolruc had spoken up from behind him. Like a trainee so focused on the threats in front of them that they completely missed one coming up from behind. There wasn’t visible evidence of his physical injuries, but she could read how he had been hurt in the way he carried himself, like he had been carrying aches and pains that had only recently faded. How he hunched into himself whenever any of them approached. It was so subtle, she wasn’t even sure the kid noticed he was doing it. 

She’d known what to expect, to some extent. Cassony had told her all she knew. But to see it…

If she hadn’t already been determined to keep Obi-Wan from ever being put in a position where he’d be hurt like that again, she would have been after that interaction. It hurt her heart to see a child so close to Myles’s age be so filled with fear. 

After a moment she felt her _riduur_ squeeze her hand and turn towards Jaster. She followed the movement herself, turning away from the retreating _verd’ike. [16] _

“So,” Cassony said, voice dry. “I assume there’s a reason you sent our kids with the very traumatized foundling they only just met?” 

Jaster sighed, rubbing at his face. “I know, Cassony. It’s not ideal, but this is too important to wait.” 

Her _riduur_ paused. “What is it, Jaster?” 

He met both of their eyes. 

“Some of the other teams reported in with more intel on the _dar'jetii_ they encountered. We need to talk about what they found.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Mando'a Translations**
> 
> 1 _My'ika_ \- diminutive version of Myles, an affectionate nickname[return to text]
> 
> 2 _Min'buir/Cas'buir_ \- a way to differentiate between two parents; created by taking the first syllable of a name and adding _buir > to it[return to text]_
> 
> _3 _verd'goten_ \- Mandalorian rite of passage into adulthood that traditionally begins at age 14[return to text]_
> 
> _4 _vod'ika_ \- younger sibling[return to text]_
> 
> _5 _ori'vod_ \- older sibling[return to text]_
> 
> _6 _kirman'ade_ \- foundling; lit. adopted child; plural form of _kirman'ad_ [return to text]_
> 
> _7 _Manda'yaim_ \- the planet Mandalore, literally Manda home[return to text]_
> 
> _8 _mirjahaal'tsad_ \- Mandalorian therapy group[return to text]_
> 
> _9 _ad be Mand'alor_ \- child of the Mand'alor[return to text]_
> 
> _10 _vod_ \- used in this context to mean friend or buddy[return to text]_
> 
> _11 _Su cuy'gar_ \- Hello; lit. "you're still alive"[return to text]_
> 
> _12 _Alor be Aliit Mereel_ \- Leader of House Mereel[return to text]_
> 
> _13 _kirman'ad be Aliit Mereel_ \- foundling of House Mereel[return to text]_
> 
> _14 _Vor entye_ \- Thank you; lit. "I accept a debt."[return to text] _
> 
> _15 _baar'ure_ \- medics[return to text]_
> 
> _16 _verd'ike_ \- used in this context to affectionately mean "little soldiers"[return to text] _
> 
> _This series has a[Discord server](https://discord.gg/xxtPrbdJ8D) now! Feel free to drop in and say hi there or on my [Tumblr](https://fadinglight123.tumblr.com/)._


	7. next steps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the _Haat'ade_ learn more about what Obi-Wan went through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was originally going to wait to post this until closer to my "schedule" (yes, I know it's not a very coherent one, but I try), but then the Discord made it very clear that they would like to read it ASAP so. Here it is! 
> 
> **CHAPTER WARNINGS**
> 
> More discussion of injuries and malnutrition during Obi-Wan's POV; there is also some brief discussion of torture, nothing graphic or detailed, but it is discussed. It takes place when Cassony is speaking and says "My medic, Tolruc, did a full physical exam," and is over at the end of that paragraph. 
> 
> Let me know if there are any warnings I missed! As always, a huge thank you to [nerdytransguy](https://nerdytransguy.tumblr.com/) and [Cuzosu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cuzosu/pseuds/Cuzosu) for beta-ing!

**Keldabe, Mandalore**

Mina sat with her arms crossed, stubbornly resisting the urge to bounce her leg. It was taking far more discipline than usual to contain the urge to move, and the fact she was strapped into her seat in the speeder Jaster had brought wasn’t helping her nerves. Jaster had refused to say anything more about what the new intel was on the drive from the airfield into Keldabe proper. He’d insisted he wanted the teams that had been out doing the investigating to be the ones to explain what they had found. And judging by his subtle glances around at the staff of the airfield, it was sensitive information he didn’t want getting out into the gossip mills.

Though if there really was a _dar’jetii[1] _ involved...

That alone was already a bad sign. The fact that he’d also made it clear he wanted Mina to be at this debrief, along with several of his other well-trusted _ori’ramikade_ who hadn’t been involved in the jobs on Bandomeer set off all kinds of warning bells in her head. She could tell by the look on Cassony’s face that it had done the same for her. 

“I’m hoping they might have more news for us,” Jaster had admitted when pressed. “The situation...I have a feeling it’s going to get a lot more complicated soon.” 

That had done nothing to calm their nerves. Mina had had to resist the urge to swear to herself. Missions where they encountered anyone with the Force abilities of the _jetii’se_ were already complicated enough. 

“Is that a _Manda_ feeling or a tactical feeling?” 

“Both,” he replied, grimly. 

She and Cassony traded looks. Jaster didn’t always get the Manda whispering foresight to him, but the _Haat’ade_ had long-since learned to take it seriously when he did. He had seldom been wrong, though she was hoping he might turn out to be this time. 

They fell silent for a few minutes, Jaster staring at the road ahead as he turned something over in his head. 

“That foundling of yours,” he started, breaking the silence. “Obi-Wan. He was on the mining rig? Being kept there?” 

Cassony’s brow furrowed. _“Lek._ Had a shock collar and suppression cuffs to cut him off from the Force.” 

Jaster blew out a breath. 

“So he’s sensitive?” 

“He is.” 

“Kriff.” 

Mina and Cassony both blinked at that. Before either of them can ask about it, though, he pressed on. 

“What did he tell you about where he was from?” 

“He- what he told me was vague. His accent sounds _Coruscanti.”_ She paused for a moment. “Tono and I both suspect he’d had training in the Force. Likely by the _jetii’se_ , but I haven’t tried to push him about it.” 

Jaster rubbed at his temples. “A _jetii’ad[2] _ foundling. Kark, this is a right mess.” 

Cassony narrowed her eyes. Reflexively, Mina reached out to take her _riduur’s_ hand, running her thumb soothingly.

“The _jetii’se_ lost any claim they might have had on him when they _left him_ on a planet where he wound up a _slave_. And I’m not sending him back somewhere he doesn’t want to go.” 

Jaster blinked, glancing at her before his eyes widened. “Of course not! That’s- kriff. That’s not what I’m worried about, Cassony! Of course we’re keeping him!” 

The tension eased out of the air, and she squeezed Cassony’s hand gently. 

“That’s something we’ll have to worry about at some point, though,” he warned. “The fact he was raised by the _jetii’se.”_

Mina cut in before her wife could. She wasn’t as sensitive to the _Manda_ as either of them, but she could still feel how protective Cassony already was of Obi-Wan. There was the start of a bond there, the first of many ties to their clan if Obi-Wan agreed to it. But right now, that fledgling bond had Cassony puffing up like an angry tooka at even the idea that the foundling would not be welcome. Mina would have to be the voice of reason. Joy.

“Why? It’s not like they have any grounds to make us hand him over if they came looking. And he’s far from the first _Manda gaan’la[3] _ foundling we’ve had.” She inclined her head towards Cassony to illustrate the point. 

“No, they wouldn’t; I’m not too concerned about the _jetii’se_ demanding him back. We’ve fought them over _ad’e_ before, and we’ll do it again if necessary. It’s the reactions he’ll get from around here once that spreads that concern me.” 

Mina could feel the tension steadily leaking out of Cassony as it became clear the _Mand’alor_ would not be turning her foundling away. It was being steadily replaced by wary confusion. 

“You think the _Haat’ade_ won’t accept him?” 

Jaster shrugged. “You know as well as I do that our relationship with the _jetii’se_ is...strained to say the least. There’s a reason they don’t venture into the sector unless they have to. And why we avoid jobs that might involve them when we can.” 

_“Cin vhetin_ is sacred! It doesn’t matter who he was raised by, not when he is one of us now!” 

“It’s not me you have to convince, Cassony,” he replied. 

“He’s a kid,” Mina said with a scowl. “A scared, traumatized kid who had nowhere else to go and was abandoned! Even the most hardcore traditionalist wouldn’t hurt him for something he had no control over.” 

“Not without getting thrown out of the sector and declared _dar’manda [4] _ at very least,” he agreed, a hint of a snarl at the very idea of one of their people hurting a child. “But there’s more ways to hurt someone than with weapons or fists. And the other _ad’e_ might not take it well, especially if their _buir’e_ start running their mouths about it.” 

Mina had only just met Obi-Wan. She only really knew him from the stories her _riduur_ had passed along. She didn’t have the same fledgling bond that Cassony had as his finder, not yet. But the idea of some kids trying to push him around or ostracizing him over his past had her fists clenching and her teeth grinding. 

“There’s no guarantee it’ll happen. Could just be the pessimist in me seeing the worst. But it’s something to keep in mind. On top of the complications of teaching our traditions to a kid who learned how to use his abilities from the _jetii’se_.” 

“If I learned them, he can learn them,” Cassony declared stubbornly. A small smile tugged at Jaster’s lips as he tilted his head in acknowledgment. 

“So we prepare for it. Myles is already eager to befriend him, and Jango will follow along. That will hopefully ease his way with the other kids. And we keep an eye on things, make sure whoever is leading training or minding the _kirman’ade_ knows to watch out for it,” Mina declared. 

“Or we just prevent it from becoming an issue,” Cassony argued. “Keep it between us for now. Let him decide when, or even if, he shares that piece of his past and with who. It has no bearing on who he might become as one of us, and this way he can prove his place is here. Settle in, make friends. So when the time comes, it minimizes the fallout for him.” 

“You know some people will make noise about keeping it secret if it gets out that’s what we did,” Mina warned. She could think of a list of who the ones most likely to cause problems would be.

“We can take that heat. Especially if it means that he’s spared.” 

Sometimes, Mina was reminded of exactly why she fell in love with Cassony. Little moments like, where Cassony practically burned with determination to see something through. She was reminded just how loving and protective her _riduur_ is; not just of the people she cares about, though Obi-Wan fit under that umbrella, but of any person or creature she found in need of defending. 

“Alright,” Mina agreed with a small smile. “Yeah. We can do that.” 

Jaster was silent for a long moment, expression slightly pained. 

“Normally, I’d agree with you. But if what I suspect happened is true, I don’t think we’re going to be able to keep others from finding out about him.” 

“What?”

Mina stared at her _Mand’alor_ , took in the tension in his frame, the tight way he gripped the steering wheel. 

“Jaster,” she started slowly, “what’s going on?” 

He grimaced. “It’s...part of what I wanted everyone to hear. And I might still be wrong.” 

The hairs on the back of Mina’s neck stood up. “Spit it out, Jaster.” 

“I think the _dar’jetii_ Ved is tailing might have had an interest in your foundling.” 

* * *

**Inside the clinic**

Obi-Wan winced a little as Tolruc finished reapplying bacta bandages to his back. He’d managed to nearly forget about them until now; the bandages the Nautolan had applied on the first day on the ship had taken them from a constant pulsing ache anytime he moved to a tolerable sting. The remaining pain had been easy enough to ignore. But now, between having the bandages peeled off and exposing the burns and scars to fresh air again and then the light pressure needed to apply fresh ones, it was a little harder to ignore. 

The initial stinging chill of the bacta quickly settled back into numbness, and Obi-Wan slumped down in relief. 

Tolruc had spent the last half an hour poking and prodding at him, as gently as possible, reassessing all the injuries he’d catalogued from before and keeping a sharp eye for any he’d missed. It was a little exhausting, and he just wanted it to be done. 

At least the medic had sent Jango and Myles to wait outside. Myles had seemed reluctant to leave, but Jango had rolled his eyes and dragged him out to the waiting room with a muttered “Give him some space, _dikut.”_ Obi-Wan couldn’t help but feel grateful for that. He didn’t think he could handle two more unfamiliar presences in the room while he was left so exposed and vulnerable. His shields were already leaking out his stress as it was, he didn’t need anything more to test them. 

“Good,” Tolruc murmured, as he pulled back. “Those are healing up nicely, too.” 

He moved back around to within view, sitting down and passing Obi-Wan his tunic and letting him pull it back on before meeting his eyes. 

“Most of the burns are superficial. The fresh ones should heal with only minimal scarring.” He paused, his voice turning gentle. “I did what I could for the rest, but...some of them were too old or too deep for me to do anything about. Those scars will stay.” 

Obi-Wan swallowed heavily and nodded, the phantom burn of a saber crawling across his back before he shoved the sense-memory away. He had expected that. 

“They should only be superficial, not enough to really affect your range of movement once they heal up completely. Come to me or one of the other medics immediately if that’s not the case,” he said sternly, waiting until Obi-Wan nodded before continuing. “Do you want me to set up time to talk with someone about how you got them?” 

He froze. “What?” 

“Every scar has a story,” Tolruc said, voice edged with the certainty of experience. “Most of them painful. Those,” he nodded towards the bandages that were still peeking out from underneath his loose tunic, “look like their story was more painful than most. A lot of foundlings come to us with trauma. Things they need help working through. I’m not really qualified to do that kind of healing, but I can set you up with someone who is.” 

Obi-Wan hesitated. “I thought...Cassony said that I _had_ to join a mir-mirhaal’tsad?” 

_“Mirjahaal’tsad,”_ he corrected. 

_“Mirjahaal’tsad,”_ he repeated, murmuring it to himself a few times to try and set the flow of the word to memory. 

“Some people call them _‘mir’tsad’_ for short. Translates literally to ‘brain group’ but people will know what you mean.” 

_“Mirjahaal’tsad_ or _mir’tsad.”_ Obi-Wan nodded to show he understood. Tolruc smiled at him before explaining. 

“Every foundling is put in a _mirjahaal’tsad,_ yes. So are _verd’e_ returning from particularly long or rough missions. It can make acclimating to life here easier if you’re doing it in a group, and it helps foster bonds. The _verd’e_ act as mentors to the kids in the group, and it makes adjusting to being on Mandalore among civilians a lot easier for everyone. But that wasn’t what I was talking about.” He fixed Obi-Wan with a piercing stare. “Sometimes, it can be hard to talk about the kinds of things you’ve been through to a crowd. The bonds and support you’ll find in a _mir’tsad_ help. They really do make the adjustment process easier. But some things need more than that to heal. A _mir’baarur_ would be someone you go see one-on-one, build trust with. Talk about what happened, how to deal with it.” 

He paused, voice turning even more gentle as he continued. Obi-Wan could feel the way his blood had drained from his face midway through the explanation.

“I know it can be scary to open up about something like that, Obi-Wan. You’ve been through hell. Survived things no kid should ever have to. Now, you’re someplace safe. It’s time to heal from it. This is part of that process.” 

He bit his lip. “....do I have to do it now?” 

“No. Not if you aren’t ready. But it’s there for when you are.”

Obi-Wan nodded slowly. “Okay,” he rasped. “I’ll...I’ll keep that in mind.”

“That’s all I ask,” Tolruc replied lightly. The silence sat for a moment before the medic pressed on.

“However, I _am_ going to insist that you set up appointments every tenday or so with someone to make sure your renutrition plan is working for at least the next 4 months. We’ll reassess how to move forward with it, then.” That drew a grimace, but no protests. He knew he’d be dragged into more doctor’s appointments. Tolruc had already made very sure to impress the importance of his current diet on the first day. Still...

“Can they be with you?” he asked after a moment’s hesitation. 

“Hm?” Tolruc looked up from where he was making notes on a datapad. 

“The appointments,” he said, shifting uncomfortably. “Can they be with you? I can’t-” His voice cut out for a moment before he grit his teeth and forced himself to continue. “I don’t want a stranger to…” 

The Nautolan blinked before smiling gently. 

“I think I can make that happen, Obi-Wan. I’m due for some time off of fieldwork anyway.” 

Obi-Wan shrunk down a little. “If it’ll inconvenience you-”

“It’s not an inconvenience,” he insisted gently. “There are plenty of other _baar’ure_ capable of running missions with the commandos. If anything, you’re giving me a good excuse. I’ve been meaning to take myself off the active-duty roster and spend a bit more time planetside for a bit now. And there’s no better reason for me to stick around here than to monitor your recovery and make sure you’re acclimating okay.” 

Somewhat against his will, Obi-Wan sagged with relief. _“Vor entye.”_

_“N’entye.” [5] _

The machine that Tolruc had put a blood sample beeped, announcing that it had finished its analysis. He pulled the results up on his datapad, reading through them for a moment before looking up at Obi-Wan with a frown. 

“You’re Stewjoni?” 

He blinked. “I...was born there, yes.” 

He sighed, muttering curses as he typed furiously. “If you’re not fully human, that’s something I need to know, _ad’ika_.” 

Obi-Wan furrowed his brow in confusion. “But I’m basically human-” 

“No, you’re _near_ human,” he interrupted. “That’s not ‘basically human,’ that’s a biological category that means tangible differences in traits. From what I remember, the visual differences between Stewjoni and a baseline human are pretty minimal, but there are a few biological differences in healthy nutrient levels. I’ll have to adjust some of the vitamins and supplements you’ll need,” he muttered to himself. 

Obi-Wan felt like he’d been blindsided by a speeder. 

“But I- the Or-” He immediately snapped his mouth shut, eyes widening as he realized what he almost let slip.

“Hm?” Tolruc looked up, blinking a little but not otherwise reacting. 

Obi-Wan swallowed hard, trying desperately to rein in his panic. He hadn’t said it. He hadn’t messed up this time. He was still safe. “The...the _others_ from...from where I lived before. They always treated me as if I were human. It was just the teeth and my eyes, nothing...I mean. They never mentioned...” 

He shrugged. “The differences are small enough, they may not have known. Or it was just easier than explaining the subtle differences in biology between Humans and various Near-Human species. There are all kinds of reasons for them to not teach you the minutiae of your exact species of Near-Human.”

“So...it wasn’t a lie, exactly?”

“I don’t know if they were intentionally lying, _ad’ika_ ,” Tolruc sighed. “Not without knowing more about how you grew up.” 

That made Obi-Wan snap his mouth shut, panic and fear welling up in his throat. The silence stretched out as he tried to come up with something to say, anything that could hide the truth.

“The most important difference for now is just how your metabolism functions. Certain foods and medicines will affect you in...interesting ways. Cause reactions you wouldn’t see in a full human,” Tolruc continued, typing away at his datapad and blissfully unaware of Obi-Wan’s panic. “I’ll have to add a few foods to the things you shouldn’t be eating. And adjust your refeeding plan…” 

The medic continued muttering to himself, making notes for himself before looking back up. 

“I have to do a bit of research, familiarize myself with what exactly to expect, but I should have something ready to go over when you next come in here.” Something in Obi-Wan’s expression must have given him away, because he paused before setting the datapad aside and turning to face him fully. “You okay?” 

“I just...uh.” 

Tolruc smiled gently. “Hey, this isn’t bad. I promise. It’s a bit of a surprise, but it’s not your fault you didn’t know to mention this. I know it sounds kind of scary, learning all these new things. Finding out you aren’t what you thought you were, that there’s something different about you that you never knew, it’s hard.” 

“Yeah,” he breathed out, his voice distant to his own ears. “Yeah, it is.” 

“You won’t be alone on this. Like I said, I’ll see what I can dig up about your particular species. You won’t be the only one dealing with this. And if you need someone to talk to about...any of this, really, there’s people here for you. Even if it’s not a _mir’baarur_ , if you just come find me, or Cassony, or anyone you feel comfortable with. You never have to go through it alone, ok?” 

“Ok,” he whispered. 

The Nautolan reached out and squeezed his shoulder gently, offering a steady comfort. Tentatively, Obi-Wan reached out enough to get a sense of the warmth he radiated out into the Force. It made him shiver, and some of the tension drained from his frame. All of the Mandalorians he had met were so _warm_. He hadn’t been able to feel them when they’d been freeing all of them from the rig, but he could imagine the way that gentle, comforting warmth could explode into wrath. He’d only ever felt this aimed at him, though. The steady warmth reminded him of sitting in a patch of sunlight, or under a warm blanket. It was hard not to feel comforted by the sensation. 

He realized, after another moment, that he’d been leaning into Tolruc’s hand. Obi-Wan flushed a little and leaned back. The Nautolan let him go, his smile not changing. 

“Do you have any questions for me?” he asked. 

“No. No, not right now. But. Later. Once you’ve had time. I’d like to hear about what to expect. From the Stewjoni thing.” 

“I’ll let you know once I’ve found anything,” he promised, before standing up. “In the meantime, you’re free to go. I’m sure Myles is bouncing off the walls waiting to show you the foundlings’ complex. I’ll send your updated diet and new food restrictions to your datapad. I’ll send a copy for your _cabur_ as well. Make _sure_ you follow it all. I don’t want to have to confine you to a bed here because you ate something you shouldn’t.” 

Obi-Wan nodded dutifully.

“Good. Then I’ll see you soon. You should get message reminders on when your next appointment here is.” 

Obi-Wan stood from the exam table, pulling the ties for his tunic a little tighter to make it fit a bit better before looking up at Tolruc. 

_“Ret’urcye mhi,[6] _ Tolruc,” he said, the word only feeling a little awkward in his mouth 

_“Ret’urcye mhi,_ Obi-Wan,” the medic said warmly. 

He made his way back out the way Tolruc had led him in, coming to a stop in the door to a waiting area as he found Jango and Myles waiting. 

The other redhead looked up and jumped to his feet immediately with a grin. Jango following at a more sedate pace. Obi-Wan drew to a halt as they began moving towards him, suddenly hit with a wave of warmth and welcome and curiosity, all ozone and sunlight and warm cocoa, emanating from Myles in particular.

“Good to go?” Myles asked. 

Obi-Wan nodded, still feeling a little lightheaded from the sheer energy he could feel pouring off the other boy, slipping right past his shields. He marveled at how it didn’t quite feel like an intrusion, like Myles was simply so enthusiastic and full of life that his moods leaked out into the space around him. 

“Anywhere else Tolruc wants you to stop?” Jango this time. 

“No. I’m done for now,” he replied to them both with a shake of his head. 

They both smiled, Myles’s a megawatt beam and Jango’s a crooked grin.

“Then let’s show you your new home.” 

There was only a second of hesitation before Obi-Wan smiled back and nodded, quietly basking in the warmth again.

* * *

**In a conference room within the Mereel Compound**

It was taking all of Mina’s discipline not to pace like a caged animal as they waited for the other _ori’ramikade_ to arrive. As it was, she’d been grinding her teeth and had her arms crossed to hide her clenched fists since they arrived. Cassony had swung from rage at this possible new threat to her foundling to fear for his life a couple of times for the remainder of the drive. She’d settled into silence when it became clear that Jaster wouldn’t be saying anything more, sinking into the mindset that made her such an efficient and deadly marksman. Mina could feel the way her focus had narrowed to a laser bright point, all barely restrained energy staying perfectly still and ready to burst into action. A counterpoint to Mina’s own urge to start prowling like an agitated predator. 

Jaster’s reticence had done nothing to lessen that urge. 

“You can’t just drop a bomb like that and then not explain, Mereel!” she growled in frustration. “Especially not when there’s a kid, a _new foundling_ , involved!” 

“I told you, I _will_ explain, Mina,” Jaster replied tiredly, rubbing at his temples. They’d been talking in circles about this the entire time. 

“And in the meantime, we’re supposed to just sit here quietly and wait until you decide you’re ready to share?” she demanded. 

“I already told you-” 

“Yes yes, you want everyone to hear it at once. But they’re not here and you’ve already told us enough to-”

“He wants us to be fresh eyes, _Min’ika,”_ Cassony interrupted. When she looked over at her _riduur,_ her eyes were locked on Jaster. “Make sure he’s not jumping to conclusions.” 

Jaster nodded, looking relieved that one of them had picked up on it. “Right now, it’s only a suspicion. I wanted you both to go in as unbiased as possible. See if I’m jumping at shadows and making connections that aren’t there. And right now, this whole mess is developing so rapidly, I want to make sure I’m giving you all the most up to date intel when we debrief so we know what we’re getting into!” 

Mina let out a breath, forcing herself to relax and try to breathe through the aggravation thrumming through her like a live wire. 

“Fine,” she gritted out. “But everyone else had better get here soon or I’ll keep grilling you for answers.”

Jaster inclined his head. “That’s fair.”

The three of them sat in silence for the next few minutes, Cassony still absorbed in that perfect stillness while Mina tapped her foot impatiently. Jaster managed to look as if he was serenely ignoring both of them and the tension that still filled the air of the room. He focused on scrolling through his datapad, working through the never-ending backlog of paperwork that was his responsibility as both _Mand’alor_ and leader of the supercommandos.

Luckily for all of them, it didn’t take long for the other _Haat’ade_ Jaster had summoned to arrive. Mina felt her tense muscles loosen a little as they all filed in, talking quietly amongst themselves. Alongside her and Cassony, there were some of Jaster’s top _ori’ramikade[7] _ and most trusted strategists present. Only a few moments after they had begun to enter, the comm embedded in the center console in the room beeped. Jaster pressed the button to answer it, projecting a holographic image of Ved and Rue, the leaders of the two teams Jaster had sent to do some hunting and gather intel after the objectives on Bandomeer were wrapped. 

Once everyone was settled, Jaster cleared his throat and called the debrief to order. 

“So,” he began. “As most of you know, we were recently hired to help destabilize the operations of the Offworld Mining Corporation on Bandomeer. A few different squads were involved, all hitting different targets, including a deep-sea mining rig where a few hundred people were kept in slavery.” That drew some angry muttering from the crowd. “The most concerning incident, however, was what was found at this site.” 

Jaster pressed a button and a slightly blurry image of a mineshaft was projected for everyone to see. It was filled to the brim with high-grade explosives. 

“Ved?” Jaster inclined his head, signaling for _kaysh_ to take over. 

_“Right. There were enough explosives in that shaft to destroy half the planet if they were detonated. And they_ _were_ all _r_ _igged to blow. We barely managed to defuse them without fucking it up. Largely because of this.”_

Ved pressed a few buttons on _kaysh[8] _ vambrace, projecting the footage from someone’s _buy’ce_ up for everyone to see. As it began to play, there were whispers and various exclamation of shock sweeping through all of the commandos not already in the know and apprehensive murmuring among those who were when a figure cloaked in black descended into view, wielding a bright red _kad’au. [9] _

_“Luckily, my team came prepared for an altercation and we had the advantage of greater numbers. The_ hut’uun _ran when it became clear he was no match for all of us._ Kara’s _blessing, we were all wearing full_ beskar _, so no one lost a limb or suffered any other serious injuries. Only a few mild burns and other superficial injuries easily treated by bacta bandages.”_

“And the _kad'au_ wielder?” someone asked.

Ved scowled. _“He got away from us in the chaos. But in light of the seriousness of this information and our lack of serious injuries, mine and Rue’s squads were assigned to hunt this_ shabuir _down so we could all bring him to justice.”_

Here, Rue cut in to continue the explanation. _“Our job was made a little easier by the fact that he didn’t bother to hide his face, so tracking down an identity to go off of was relatively simple once we had decent footage of him. A quick scan through facial recognition software gave us a name.”_

A generic ID photo popped up alongside the paused footage for comparison.

_“We’re relatively certain that this is Xanatos du Crion. He’s from Telos IV, his father was involved in the civil war there. We know he holds a high position within Offworld, but digging up any intel on how he got that far up in a Hutt business has proven difficult. We’re fairly certain foul play was involved, we just can’t prove it.”_

“And the _kad'au?"_ asked one of the _verd’e._

_“He’s skilled with it. Definitely a Force user. He pulled all sorts of tricks before he ran.”_ Ved paused. _“I spoke with some of the Meerian and Arconan leaders who interacted with him. They claim he used to be a jetii.”_

That drew a lot more than just angry muttering. There were several outbursts and general shouting over each other among the others in the room. Mina exchanged a glance with Cassony. In the back of her mind, a few suspicions about what Jaster had been getting at earlier began to form.

“Everyone quiet down and let them finish,” Jaster ordered, voice firm. It took another minute, but the group did fall silent again. He nodded for the two calling in to continue.

_“We were a bit skeptical at first. Especially given the fact that he is clearly high up the ladder in Offworld. That doesn’t track with everything we know about the_ jetii’se _. But the people we spoke with insisted that he claimed that he was part of the Order, but left. Apparently, a jetii came to Bandomeer roughly half a year ago and recognized his name. Supposedly, this_ jetii _referred to him as if he had once been part of their Order, which would only add weight to their claim.”_

Half a year...Cassony said Obi-Wan had spent about that long on that mining rig. If she was right about Obi-Wan being raised by the _jetii’se,_ that had probably been the person responsible for chaperoning him. The way Cassony’s focus had gone razor-sharp meant she’d likely reached the same conclusion. If they ever got the name of whichever _shabuir_ left him behind and let him get forced into slavery, Jaster would probably have to order them both not to go after them. Whoever that person was would have a very unpleasant welcome if they ever dared venture into Mandalorian space.

_“As far as we can tell, he’s just dar’jetii, a renegade from the Order, not a Sith,”_ Rue said. 

That, at least, was good news. A mission involving a _jetii_ was bad enough. _Dar’jetii_ came with their own challenges but didn’t have the same risk of bringing the Order and the Republic down on them in retaliation for whatever happened. Sith...they were a special kind of complicated the _Haat’ade_ didn’t need right now. Mandalore had historically viewed them as _narudar’e,_ but history had shown exactly how willing to throw their allies on the sword in their stead the _Darjetii_ were. Mandalore had suffered for its involvement in the endless war between Sith and Jedi, and Jaster had made it clear that they would not make that mistake again when he was made _Mand’alor._ Not when the scars from the _Dral’Han_ were still so visible on the planet.

_“We caught up with him at one point on a nearby planet and managed to get pretty close. Unfortunately, we must not have been quite subtle enough, because he left as soon as we started closing in on him and managed to lose us shortly after.”_ Rue said, scowling as he explained what happened. Mina winced. Losing a target after getting very close was always frustrating, and Rue had always prided himself on his efficiency and stealth.

On the comm, Ved’s face looked grim. _“We managed to plant some bugs on the_ shabuir _before he lost us. We didn’t get a whole lot before the signal got lost, but...he was bragging about a kid that he had captured. He heavily implied he had tortured him.”_

There was angry muttering and curses all around the room, but Mina paid them no mind. No, her attention was on her wife. Because beside her, Cassony had frozen, her focus stretched like a cable about to snap from the tension. The warning bells that had been steadily increasing in volume within Mina’s mind started to scream. Jaster glanced their way before gesturing for the human to continue. 

_“That’s not all,” kaysh_ said. The tone of _kaysh_ voice made everyone shut up and pay attention. _“Based on what we managed to catch, we think whoever the kid he had was, they were a jetii’ad.”_

In near perfect unison, Mina and Cassony started cursing up a blue streak. 

_“Obi-Wan,”_ Cassony whispered, voice hoarse. “Kark!” Her face had gone extremely pale and she looked like she might be sick.

Mina reached out to lay a hand on her _riduur’s_ shoulder, leaning in close and trying her best to comfort her. She reached out as best she could across their bond, offering her support. After a moment, Cassony reached up to grab her hand and squeeze it briefly. 

When they looked up again, everyone else was watching them too. They could tell from Jaster’s grim expression that he knew they’d reached the same conclusion that he must have when he got the news. 

“This is what you meant,” Cassony said. It wasn’t a question. Jaster nodded in confirmation anyway, and Cassony closed her eyes. _“Kark.”_

“Care to share with the rest of us?” Montross asked with a sneer. Mina scowled at the man, but took a step back to let Cassony explain. 

She drew in a breath, straightening to face the others. 

“When my team liberated the deep sea mining rig, the slaves there were largely Meerians and Arconians who had been taken from around Bandomeer. There were a few other species mixed in, but almost all were adults. And all of them had someplace to go or someone to contact, except for one. A 13-year old named Obi-Wan. He agreed to come back to Mandalore with us. I have claimed him as a foundling of House Mereel, and Jaster acknowledged that claim when we arrived. 

_“You think he’s the kid our target tortured,”_ Ved said, crossing _kaysh_ arms. 

“I do,” Cassony said, inclining her head. 

“Why? What makes you think he wasn’t just another kid stuck there?” Montross demanded.

“All of the slaves we freed wore bomb collars set to blow if they attempted to escape. But Obi-Wan was the only one who also had cuffs around his wrists.” Cassony glanced at Jaster, who nodded. She blew out a breath before continuing. “Once we got a good look at them, I was fairly certain they were suppressor cuffs. And when we got them off...he lit up. My second can attest to it. He’s definitely _Manda gaan’la._ ”

“There’s more evidence that supports him being that kid, too. His story about how he got there was...vague. I don’t think he was lying, but he avoided giving any details. I didn’t want to press him about it. By that point, I’d begun to suspect he’d been trained by the _jetii’se_. The way he reacted once the suppressor cuffs came off was too instinctive for him to be untrained,” she continued.

“And you still brought this _jetii_ back with you? Are you that weak to every pathetic thing you see that you’d bring an enemy back to our doorstep?” 

It took all of Mina’s discipline not to launch herself at Montross for his insult. Cassony’s eyes flashed and she drew herself up to her full height. 

“He is a _child,”_ she hissed, rage visibly rising. “He was abandoned on that planet and then forced into slavery! He spent _months_ on that rig, being tortured and worked half to death! And he didn’t want to go back. I offered, multiple times, to take him to any planet he wished if he had someplace to go, and he said he didn’t. That he would just be sent right back to that planet if he were to return to where he came from! If you would have left him behind or harmed him for where he’s from, you are not worthy of your armor!” 

Montross opened his mouth to fire back, but Jaster held up a hand. 

“Montross, _enough,”_ he snapped. “Obi-Wan has been claimed as a foundling. He is not a _jetii,_ he is a traumatized child in need of our help! I will not hear any arguments on the matter, is that understood?” 

“Yes, _A_ _lor.”_ The others were quick to agree. Jaster kept his eyes on Montross, visibly waiting for an acknowledgement. The soldier grit his teeth and shot a glare at Cassony, but lowered his eyes deferentially. 

“Yes, _A_ _lor,”_ he grit out, the words spit out like they were poison. 

Jaster nodded authoritatively. “Good. Cassony, continue.” 

Her _riduur_ shot one last venomous glare at Montross before letting out a breath, burying her outrage, and pressing on. 

“My medic, Tolruc, did a full physical exam to see how badly he was hurt and figure out what we could do on the ship to start to heal him. Most of it was fairly standard, the kind of injuries and malnutrition we’d expect to see from someone who spent half a year as a slave. But his back…” she paused, visibly trying to calm herself for a moment. When she continued, the rage was audible in her voice. “He had strange burns on his back. Not the electrical burns that the shock-batons the guards used would have inflicted. They were long and straight and... _organized._ Evenly spaced across his back. I didn’t recognize them when Tono showed me the images but...I’m fairly certain they were lightsaber burns. That _demagolka_ deliberately burned him with his saber.”

Mina clenched her fists. Looking around, she was gratified to find she wasn’t the only one angry or horrified at what had been done to Obi-Wan. Cassony’s report of what he’d been through seemed to have swayed most of them in his favor. 

“Alright,” Jaster breathed. “So Obi-Wan is most likely the _jetii’ad_ that du Crion tortured. That means he is need of our protection. And that we need to keep this monster from being able to hurt more children like him.” 

_“We’re doing everything we can to track him, right now,”_ Ven said. _“But we could use some additional support to help bolster our efforts and make pinning him down easier. The_ shabuir _knows how to fight.”_

“We’ll mobilize and send you reinforcements.”

Cassony nodded, and Mina wasn’t surprised at all when she stepped forward. “My team can coordinate, add what we found during our time on Bandomeer. When do we leave?” 

Jaster straightened, looking her in the eye. “The squads assigned will leave in 2 days time. But you aren’t coming with.” 

_“Excuse_ me?” 

“I mean it, Cassony,” Jaster said firmly. “You’re needed here. You were just out on a mission, and this probably isn’t going to be a short one.”

Cassony opened her mouth to argue further, but he held up a hand to silence her. 

“I’ll make it an order if I have to.” 

“Then I’ll go,” Mina declared, stepping forward to stand beside her wife with her arms crossed. She knew it wouldn’t be the same, but if at least one of them could be there to put this _demagolka_ down, it would ease the call for vengeance she knew her _riduur_ felt. “I can take charge of Cassony’s squad with no issues, and she stays here to get the leave you apparently want to force her to take.” 

The _Mand’alor_ blew out a frustrated breath. “No, you’re not coming either.” 

“I’m sorry, what?” 

“You heard me.” 

“You can’t just order us both to stay behind on this when _you’re_ the one who pulled us in for this meeting in the first place!” Cassony hissed, fists balled and rage visibly rising. 

“I can and I will,” Jaster snapped. “That kid trusts you, Cassony! Anyone with eyes can tell you’ve already got a fledgling bond, and if we’re right about what he’s been through, he doesn’t need you to go tearing off across the galaxy on a quest for vengeance right now, when he’s only just arrived! He needs you, and any other adult he feels comfortable with, _here_ to help ease the transition. Right now, you are one of the only people who makes him feel safe. Tolruc’s already sent in a request for an indefinite leave from active duty to supervise his recovery. I would have taken you off active duty for a bit as well, even if this didn’t directly involve Obi-Wan.” 

“I-” Cassony started to protest further, but fell silent, taking in Jaster’s words. 

“Don’t let your desire to punish this monster for hurting him get in the way of doing right by that kid,” Jaster urged. “He needs you here.” 

Cassony sagged, just slightly, and Mina knew Jaster had won that battle at least. She wasn’t quite ready to concede yet, though. Not until she knew what his whole thought process was.

“Alright. So Cassony is staying for Obi-Wan. That doesn’t explain why you’re ordering me to stay behind, too. He only just met me, there’s no reason to keep me here,” she argued. 

“No, but he trusts Cassony, and she trusts you,” Jaster shot back. “Not to mention the fact that their bond will probably rub off a little and make it that much easier for you to connect with him. Out of everyone else here, you’re probably the one who’s got the best chance of building trust with him who wasn’t involved in rescuing him from that hellhole.” 

Mina turned that over in her mind, acknowledging the truth in that statement. 

“If you two want to exercise your claim and eventually adopt him, you should both stay here. Focus on bonding with him, helping him settle. Build the connections to lay the groundwork for adopting him. Let us focus on making sure this monster can’t ever hurt him again while you make sure he feels safe here,” Jaster urged. 

Mina blew out a breath and inclined her head. Jaster was right. If they were going to make this work...they should both be here. 

“Fine.” 

“Good. Thank you.” 

“I want to be involved in the planning,” Cassony demanded. “You brought us in on this. If you won’t let either of us go with, at least let me help advise on where my squad might be of most use.”

“That’s fine with me. Your assistance would be welcome,” Jaster said with a small smile.

“I can fold Cassony’s forces into my own,” Montross offered. Mina tensed and felt her wife do the same. 

“No,” she snapped. Neither of them got along particularly well with the human. Something about them set off all of Cassony’s nerves and Mina felt similarly about him. After his outburst earlier, neither of them liked the idea of him taking over for Cassony. “Tono was my second on this mission. He’s more than capable of leading in my absence.” 

“That’s not your call-”

“I was a squad lead on this mission. I am only sitting this one out because as Obi-Wan’s _Mar’eyad[10] _ and as one intending to adopt him, I have a responsibility to stay with him and help him here. So I am perfectly within my rights to designate a member of my squad to take my place as leader. And I have nominated Tono.” Her voice brooked no argument.

Mina did her best to suppress a smirk. She could practically _hear_ his teeth grinding.

_“Fine.”_

Jaster coughed. “Alright. If that’s settled, contact him so we can read him in.” 

“I’ll do it,” Mina spoke up. “You start planning, I’ll be right back.” 

“Good.” 

Mina saluted, turning on her heel to go make her call. Behind her, she felt how Cassony’s focus had zeroed in on the console as they continued reviewing the intel they had so far. They would do everything they could to make sure this monster was put down. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Mando'a Translations**
> 
> 1 _dar'jetii_ \- no longer a Jedi; different from _Darjetii,_ which means Sith. The distinction between the versions with and without the glottal stop was shamelessly stolen from [mneiai's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25427407/chapters/61667170) fic[return to text]
> 
> 2 _jetii'ad_ \- Jedi child, aka Initiate or padawan[return to text]
> 
> 3 _Manda gaan'la_ \- Manda chosen, or soul chosen; i.e. Force Sensitive[return to text]
> 
> 4 _dar'manda_ \- no longer Mandalorian; not an outsider, but one who has lost their heritage, and so their identity and soul; dreaded by traditional Mandalorians[return to text]
> 
> 5 _N'entye_ \- "there is no debt"; functionally like saying "no problem," when someone thanks you. Created by [return to text](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShaeTiann/pseuds/ShaeTiann>ShaeTiann</a><sup>%5B<a%20href=)] 
> 
> 6 _Ret'urcye mhi_ \- Goodbye; lit. "Maybe we'll meet again"[return to text]
> 
> 7 _ori'ramikade_ \- supercommandos; elite Mandalorian warriors[return to text]
> 
> 8 _kaysh_ \- Mando'a gender neutral pronoun, akin to they[return to text]
> 
> 9 _kad'au_ \- lightsaber[return to text]
> 
> 10 _Mar'eyad_ \- Finder; the one who discovers a foundling and thus has both a responsibility to take care of them, and first rights to offer adoption[return to text]
> 
> I'm on [Tumblr](https://fadinglight123.tumblr.com/) and [Discord](https://discord.gg/xxtPrbdJ8D).


	8. the found house

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Obi-Wan is brought to the foundling compound and introductions are made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is becoming a pattern, but I swear I'm working on getting my writing schedule back on track! Thank you all so much for your patience while waiting for this one. As an apology, I tried to make this extra long for y'all rather than breaking it up and moving part of it to the next chapter.
> 
>  **CHAPTER WARNINGS**  
>  More discussions of malnutrition and discussions of previous torture
> 
> Thank you as always to [nerdytransguy](https://nerdytransguy.tumblr.com/) and [Cuzosu](https://cuzosu-blog.tumblr.com/) for beta-ing, as well as newest beta [reyiosa](https://reyiosa.tumblr.com/). This chapter probably would have taken much longer and been worse off without all their encouragement and (mostly) playful threats about ambushing me with more plunnies if I didn't work on it. 
> 
> I also have to thank a bunch of the people in the [Clan Tille server](https://discord.gg/WZkv5Q9) for providing the foundling OCs for me to use. More will be appearing soon!

**Keldabe, Mandalore, outside the Kirman’ade Compound**

  
  


“This is it!” Myles said, dramatically throwing an arm out to gesture forward. “The _kirman’ade_ home! We call it the Found House.”

_“You_ call it the Found House,” Jango snorted. “You still haven’t convinced anyone else to call it that.”

“It’s not like anyone has come up with a better idea!” 

While the other two devolved into bickering, Obi-Wan stared at the building in front of him. Myles had spent the entire walk over here chattering on about what the home for the foundlings was like and who the other kids there were, with Jango occasionally putting in his own commentary. Somehow, Obi-Wan hadn’t expected... _this._

The two of them had alternated between talking about the place he’d be staying like it was a fortress where he’d never have to question his safety and like it was a lively place full of energy and laughter and welcome. They’d described the chaos and mischief all the foundlings there got up to. The plain, almost drab duracrete building they were leading him up to didn’t seem to reflect any of those things. Wedged tightly between two other much more distinct buildings, Obi-Wan almost hadn’t recognized it as its own space. It was very easy to assume that it was simply an extension of one or both of the compounds on either side of it. Obi-Wan had actually thought that the front door to the one on the left—a sturdy and brightly painted building with the distinctive architectural details of many of the older buildings the other teens had pointed out on their way here—was their destination until Myles and Jango had breezed right past it. 

Compared to the traditional style of the left compound and the sleek, modern blend of durasteel and transparisteel of the one on the right—and the designs and bright paint both sported—the building Myles had declared he’d be staying at for the foreseeable future was just...dull. In more ways than one. Obi-Wan had learned long ago that appearances could be deceiving and to rely more on the Force rather than his eyes for first impressions. But that still...he still wasn’t going to risk it, just in case he did something too obviously Jedi out of reflex. But even with his shields as strong as he could manage and retreating as far behind them as possible, there was something... _off_ about this building. 

Even with his shields up, sensations and impressions of the people and places around him had been leaking in, a constant low-level buzz of being surrounded by many minds. Several of the buildings had auras of their own, though nothing like what he was used to. Both of the buildings on either side gave off a vague sense of being lived in. Not strong enough for him to sense the individual minds of those within, not without actively reaching out, not even strong enough to get an emotional impression of them. But they were still stronger than the inexplicable _blankness_ that seemed to exist around this building. The closer he got, the more he had noticed a strange...absence where he expected to feel at least a background hum pressing against his shields. 

It was disconcerting, having one of his senses, muted as it currently was, insisting that the others were wrong. Especially since it was the one he’d always trusted more than anything else. He rubbed his eyes and squinted, pressing back against that blank spot where the Force said there was open air. But his eyes were still saying there was a plain, blocky building. 

“Hey, you coming?” 

Obi-Wan blinked. Myles and Jango were definitely walking towards this building. They’d acknowledged it as if it were really there. 

“This is it?” he asked tentatively, edging forward. That blank spot made him hesitate in approaching it. He could see the walls and some parts of the building were still there in the Force, but enough of it wasn’t that he was left feeling off-kilter; like he might run into a wall if he didn’t approach slowly.

“This is it,” Jango confirmed gently. 

Obi-Wan was surprised by how he barely even flinched when Myles’s hand suddenly landed on his shoulder. He thought the other boy had been farther away. 

“People have talked about adding some paint to the exterior, but well…” 

_“Buir_ asked them not to. Said the whole point of building this one the way it was was to keep a low profile and not stand out. It’s a safety thing.” Jango shrugged. 

“Safety thing?” he asked.

“Come on, let’s get inside. We’ll explain while we get you settled.” 

Obi-Wan let them herd him up to the front door. He eyed the clearly blast-proof doors and wondered what had happened that had made the Mandalorians decide that installing them was a necessary precaution. The process to even get them open took a minute. 

“Wait a second, that’s not the right code!” Myles yelped suddenly, diving at his friend’s back. “Are you trying to get us blasted off the front porch?!” 

“It _is_ the right code! It _just_ got sent to me!” Jango argued, holding him away with one hand as he tried to enter the rest of a sequence with the other. The two tussled for a minute, Myles flailing his arms dramatically and shouting about not wanting to set off an alarm while Jango snarled that he knew what he was doing. Obi-Wan stared at them, feeling his heartbeat picking up speed.

“Would...would we be blasted for not getting the code right?” he finally asked, voice thin and a little distant to his own ears. 

Jango glanced at him and cursed, shoving Myles off. 

“We _won’t_ be because I _know_ the code.” 

Obi-Wan tried to swallow. His throat felt very dry, he noted absently. 

“But _would_ we be?” 

The teens shared a glance, before Myles slowly approached him with his hands visible. 

_“Udesii,[1] _ Obi-Wan. You’re safe. You won’t be blasted, no. It just sets off an alarm.” He paused. “Can you take a breath for me?” 

He obediently went to suck in air but found he was already holding a breath. Shakily, he exhaled, automatically falling into the slow deep breathing he’d learned to use to calm his mind years ago. Jango and Myles stood by silently, letting him take a moment. 

“Sorry,” he whispered once he had himself under control. Myles shook his head.

“No, _I’m_ sorry. I should’ve known that wouldn’t be a very reassuring thing to hear.” 

“It’s okay,” he said softly. Myles shook his head, but reached out and guided him back up to the door.

“Even if Jango did get it wrong, the only thing that would happen is the blast doors would completely seal. Then, someone inside would have to hit the all-clear to open them. As long as you don’t start trying to physically batter down the doors you won’t be hurt if you mess up trying to get in,” he said. “It happens on a near weekly basis anyway since the codes change so often. No one will judge you for it. Might laugh a little, but you won’t be in trouble or anything. I’m pretty sure the other foundlings have accidentally triggered lockdowns several times.” 

“Did it on purpose once or twice, too,” Jango grumbled. He straightened, meeting Obi-Wan’s eyes. “All the security is to make sure no one can get in to hurt you, but Jaster and the team who designed it made sure it wouldn’t accidentally hurt anyone who just messed up either. This is just the first line of defense. The doors are always locked, and the code changes all the time. Everyone who lives here gets access to the codes, and anyone who’s helping Nire with _cabur_ duty only gets one during their shift. _Buir_ has master access, but no one else. You have to be approved to get one.” 

Myles reached out and gently tugged him up to the door to give him a better look at the locking mechanism. “There’s also this.” He pointed at a biometric thumb scanner next to the keypad. “Every member of the _Haat Mando’ade_ has their data in the system. This is kind of used as a doorbell for people who are dropping by for a visit for whatever reason and don’t have a code to let them in. Lets the people inside know who’s at the door. But it’s also part of the locking mechanism. You need the thumb scan from a _Haat’ad_ who’s supposed to be in the building _and_ the right code to get in without someone in the building unlocking the doors for you. You’ll probably be added to the system and given access by the end of the day.” 

Obi-Wan’s head spun as he processed this careful explanation. “That’s...is every building like that?” 

“No,” Jango said. “The compound where _buir_ and I live has strong security too, since he’s the Mand’alor. The clinic doesn’t have as strict defenses against getting in, but it’s got its own systems in place, just in case. Every building has some measure of defense, but this one has some of the strongest.” 

_“Why?”_

They grimaced and shared a glance. Myles answered first. “Because of who lives here, partly. Kids are important. Protecting kids is part of our code. All the adults are protective of anyone who hasn’t completed their _verd’goten_ .” Seeing Obi-Wan’s confused look, he waved his hand to cut off the question. “It’s a coming-of-age thing, marks you as a full adult. The clans all have their own defenses, plus plenty of fully-trained _verde_ to help. If they get attacked, there will be lots of people around to protect the kids in the clan.” 

“There’s not many grown _verde_ who live here past a certain age, and while the neighboring Clans volunteered to defend this place if it ever comes under attack, _buir_ was worried it wouldn’t be enough. The old place...this was built for a reason. And he wanted to make sure it would always be safe from _Kyr’tsad._ Or _anyone_ who might try to break in and hurt or steal _ade_.” Jango said, voice tightening with disgust at the end.

Obi-Wan felt his shoulders hunch a bit. He knew that Jedi were often derided as baby stealers. The Mandalorians had often leveled those accusations against them in the past. He nodded slowly after a moment, puzzling over an unfamiliar word. 

“.....what’s _Kyr’tsad?”_

Jango sucked in a sharp breath. Myles shot his friend a concerned look. 

“.....That’s...I’ll tell you later. It’s not fun to talk about. Let’s get you settled first,” he said. 

“...okay.” 

Jango turned to finish the process of getting the door unlocked. Obi-Wan saw Myles reach over to squeeze his shoulder, noticing how some of the tension leaked out of the dark-haired teen’s frame as he did. 

A trill of beeps announced the door unlocking, and Jango stepped back to gesture Obi-Wan in.

The first thing Obi-Wan registered when he stepped inside was the noise. The thick walls and heavy doors of the exterior had kept any of it from being audible until the doors had opened. The wall of sound that hit him as soon as it did made him blink. There was loud music echoing from somewhere deeper in the building. People were shouting and yelling, but they sounded more like happy cheers and playful war cries than anything else. 

The entire interior seemed to radiate warmth in the Force. It emanated so strongly that it almost made him take a step back when it washed over him. He felt the tension he’d still been carrying reflexively leak out of his shoulders. Myles and Jango had told the truth. This place felt safe and warm, like it had absorbed that warmth that every Mando he’d met gave off over the course of many years. It felt almost like-

He bit his lip. 

It reminded him of the crèches back in the Temple. Suffused with life and Light and warmth. Childhood joy soaked through every inch of the space. 

“Hi!”

Obi-Wan wrenched his mind away from the past as he looked around, searching for who had greeted him. He furrowed his brow when he didn’t see anyone in his immediate vicinity. 

“Up here!”

He followed the voice, looking up to see a pale yellow Nautolan with orange patches and purple rings sitting perched high on top of a shelving unit that held pieces of armor in a variety of sizes and colors. Obi-Wan blinked. 

“Hello,” he replied, uncertain. 

Jango gave a put-upon sigh. “Kaz, what are you doing? How did you even get up there?” 

“Murdorrry put me up here.” 

“Of course ze did,” he sighed. 

“What did you do?” Myles asked, snickering. 

“Absolutely nothing, I’m the best-behaved _ad_ ever!” The Nautolan (Kaz?) declared with a grin that was just a little too sharp to be angelic. 

Jango muttered something too low for Obi-Wan to catch when Kaz suddenly shouted. 

“Murdorrry! Come let me down, I want to greet the new kid!” 

An answering roar in Shyriwook came from somewhere further in the building but was quickly interrupted by an excited squeal. 

“New _vod?!”_

Obi-Wan felt a strange tug in the Force. His eyes widened. He hadn’t even noticed how his shields had dropped almost entirely. Before he could really panic or start to raise them again, another figure came barrelling around the corner. Obi-Wan barely had time to process the bright flare in the Force rushing at him before the person’s arms were being thrown around him in a hug. He staggered backward from the sudden weight. It was only Jango and Myles reaching out with steadying hands that kept him from crashing to the ground. 

He vaguely registered the dark-haired teen grumbling something about her being “too damn enthusiastic” under his breath, but his attention was firmly on the presence wrapped around him both physically and in the Force. 

The Force twisted gently around him, whispering of enthusiasm and mischief and a deep wellspring of kindness, stray notes of an unfamiliar melody floating through his head. Obi-Wan sucked in a sharp breath as he felt the warmth of another mind press against his own. He recognized that sensation. He hadn’t felt it since he was sent away. This foundling was…

Obi-Wan felt his panic spike, his focus narrowing as he stared down at the face beaming up at him. He’d never seen anyone quite like her, even among the many varied groups found at the Temple. She had bright green eyes, contrasted against their dark cinnamon brown skin. She was clearly at least partially Togruta, judging by the pinkish-red montrals and white markings. But she also had a few small Zabrak horns and some of the facial markings common to the species in black.

Young, and vulnerable, and in so much danger if the Mandalorians ever noticed. He felt her react to his panic, concern beginning to radiate out in the Force. Her face fell a little, a look of regret and understanding passing across as she started to pull away. He tightened his grip, instinctively wanting to stay close, protect the youngling, he hadn’t felt another this close in _so long_. Slowly, she wrapped her arms back around his waist, cuddling close. 

Later. He’d try to catch her alone later, find out if she knew what she was, how she’d kept it hidden so far. He couldn’t let his reaction get them both found out now.

Obi-Wan sucked in a breath, his voice only cracking a little on the greeting. “ _S- Su cuy’gar.”_ The youngling beamed. 

“Hi!” she said brightly. “I’m Eziri! What’s your name?” 

“Um. It’s Obi-Wan. Nice to...meet you?” 

_“Su cuy’gar,_ Obi-Wan!” 

“Hey!” Kaz complained. 

“Too slow, you didn’t call _gaan!_ You snooze, you lose, Kaz!” Eziri sing-songed up at the Nautolan. 

“It’s not my fault I was stuck up here!” 

Another warbling roar in Shyriwook replied, much closer this time. He glanced up to see an adolescent Wookie with black fur rounding the corner. 

⬲ _“You were stuck up there because you wouldn’t behave.”_ ⟴ 

Obi-Wan’s Shyriwook was a bit rusty, but he remembered enough to be fairly confident he understood what the Wookie was saying.

“Did ze strap knives to Crow again?” Myles snickered. 

Jango sighed as the Nautolan dramatically protested zir innocence, visibly tuning zem out. He shot a look down at Eziri, who Obi-Wan suddenly realized was still happily wrapped around him. And he was holding her back. 

“Eziri, I _know_ Nire has told you not to tackle new people.” 

“I didn’t!” she protested. “I just gave him a hug!” 

“You almost knocked him over! He _just_ got done at the clinic, maybe don’t send him straight back to Tolruc?” 

She pouted at Jango, who scowled right back. “Don’t pull out the tooka eyes, _vaar’ika[2] _. He’s still healing, you could have hurt him.”

Her eyes widened and suddenly she was turning them on Obi-Wan. 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t hurt you did I?” 

Obi-Wan hesitantly pat her on the shoulder. “No, it’s fine. Just startled me.” 

Eziri beamed at him, while Jango rolled his eyes. 

⬲ _“Let the rest of us say hello, Eziri,”_ ⟴ the Wookie said, stepping forward. The Togruta-Zabrak girl gave Obi-Wan one last squeeze of a hug before letting go and slipping to stand behind the Wookie, who extended zir hand to him. ⬲ _“I’m Murdorrry.”_ ⟴

Obi-Wan reached out to grip the extended forearm, offering a small smile. “Obi-Wan.” 

⬲ _“Su cuy’gar, Obi-Wan.”_ ⟴

“Hello? I’m still up here!” Obi-Wan startled, looking up at the Nautolan, who was indeed still apparently stuck on top of the shelf. Ze scowled at the Wookie. “I should get to greet him, too! No fair leaving me stuck!” 

⬲ _“Calm down, I was going to get you down as soon as I met the new kid.”_ ⟴

“Yeah, when _I’m_ the first one who saw him and told you about him! I feel like that deserves first greeting privileges!” 

⬲ _“Nope. If I find glitter in my fur, I will put you back up there.”_ **⟴**

Murdorrry easily stretched up and grabbed the Nautolan, setting zim down on the ground. Ze made a show of brushing zimself off, shooting the Wookie another grin just a bit too sharp to be innocent. 

“I’d never make a mess like that!”

The Wookie just huffed. 

The Nautolan bounced over to Obi-Wan, extending zir hand for the same greeting. 

_“Su cuy’gar,_ Obi-Wan. I’m Kaz!” 

“Nice to meet you.” 

Zir grin became sharp and a thousand times more mischievous. “I don’t suppose you’d be up for helping us mix up some paint and glitter?” 

“Alright, putting a stop to that right now. Where’s Nire, Murdorrry?” 

Myles snorted. “Aww, don’t be such a killjoy, Jan’ika!” That earned a sarcastic smile and a hand gesture Obi-Wan assumed was rude. 

⬲ _“Somewhere keeping an eye on the others, I assume. I can go get them,”_ **⟴** the Wookie replied to Jango. 

“No need, Murdorrry, I’m here.” A thin, bright yellowish-green Nautolan approached. They had a few pieces of armor on, but not a full set like all the other adults he’d met so far. They smiled at him, holding a hand out. “You’re Obi-Wan, right? Jaster and Tolruc told me to expect you. My name is Nire.” 

Obi-Wan nodded, gripping their forearm in greeting. “Nice to meet you.” 

“You as well. I’m the primary _cabur_ here. If you ever need anything, just ask. I’m happy to help.” Nire radiated a sense of calm, in a way that reminded him of Cassony. They seemed very at ease, practically soaked in the same warmth the other foundlings he met were. It spoke to just how much time they spent here that it had soaked so thoroughly into their presence. 

There was a small commotion from just around the corner, in a room just out of Obi’s sight. Nire sighed and without missing a beat or turning around called out to the people causing the commotion.

“Jeb, put the glitter bomb down.” 

“Aw, Nire!” someone complained. 

Nire smiled at Obi-Wan. “Sorry, I’d say it’s normally calmer here but...this is a pretty average day, to be honest. All the _kirman’ade_ are very friendly, some of them are just also menaces.” They affectionately rubbed Eziri’s montrals and the top of Kaz’s head. They both beamed up at them, Eziri with her eyes wide and perfectly innocent while Kaz looked distinctly proud. 

“But we’re _your_ menaces!” Kaz said smugly. “You’re stuck with us!” 

Nire snorted. “Go clean up your latest mess before the glitter _really_ gets everywhere.” They gently shoved them towards the doorway before turning back to Obi-Wan, Jango, and Myles. “I’m sorry, I need to keep an eye on things out here. Jango, Myles, would you mind getting him all set up?” 

“No problem, Nire. Go keep them from unleashing...whatever they’re making on the rest of us. _Please_.” 

They smirked. “You remember where everything is, right?” 

“Yes, I do. And don’t think I didn’t notice you avoiding responding!” Jango shouted at their retreating form. Nire just laughed, waving him off. He huffed, a small smile tugging at his mouth before he turned back to Obi-Wan. “Come on, let’s get you all your stuff.” 

Myles grinned, tugging him along deeper into the building. They passed briefly through a wide open center room, skirting along the edges to avoid the flurry of activity happening within. Obi-Wan shrank as he felt the occupants starting to stare, one by one, their curiosity and eagerness vibrating and filling the space around him, pressing in. Jango moved up to his other side, blocking him from their view, but he caught a glimpse of Nire heading off several people who seemed to be approaching them. 

“You can meet him _after_ he’s had a chance to settle in a little,” he heard them say as the three of them moved out of earshot. He couldn’t help but feel grateful at the interference. 

* * *

Jango kept an eye on the tension in Obi-Wan’s frame. The careful way he’d been holding himself, as if ready to bolt at the first sign of aggression, had been slowly loosening as they walked from the clinic to the _kirman’ade_ compound. But between his and Myles’s kark up at the front door and Eziri bodily throwing herself at him, it was starting to reappear. He’d seen how twitchy the kid was getting as the other foundlings focused their attention on him. 

He huffed a quiet sigh. 

The clan kids were great. He’d spent enough time with all the _kirman’ade,_ even after Jaster adopted him, that he could honestly call them all friends. But sometimes their enthusiasm was….overwhelming. Especially to freshly traumatized kids coming in for the first time. 

But they were exceedingly welcoming and kind to newcomers, which usually made up for that initial discomfort. With any luck, Obi-Wan would adjust quickly and be brought out of his shell. He couldn’t help but hope that he’d be adopted into Clan Tille before Jeb, Kaz, and Eziri had a chance to start turning him into a prankster though. That trio of menaces did not need a fourth member. 

Jango only half paid attention to what Myles was saying to Obi-Wan as they guided him down to where all the extra supplies were kept. Jango wasn’t good at filling silences, not the way Myles was. He’d leave that to his friend, let him bond with his potential _vod’ika._ Myles could put him at ease, keep the instinctive fear from sinking in. Jango would run interference, do his best to make sure things didn’t get too overwhelming. 

Myles pulled open the door to one of the storage rooms, waving Obi-Wan in ahead of them before they followed him in. 

The room was stacked high with different blankets and pillows, along with bed rolls of various sizes and makes. In one corner, there was a pile of duffel bags that Jango knew had some basic toiletries like a toothbrush, a first aid kit, and a few bars of soap. He took in the tension still visible in Obi-Wan’s frame and moved around him to grab a duffel bag and start filling it with the other basic supplies necessary for humans. 

He kept an eye on the other two out of the corner of his eye as Myles tugged him over towards the bed rolls first. It was the easiest place to start. Foundlings like Obi-Wan, who came to the compound fresh from traumatic situations where they’d had nothing, usually struggled with picking out things to keep. He remembered helping Riva and, later on, Jet pick things out when they first arrived. The former had burst into tears when he’d handed him a blanket, and the latter froze and had a mild panic attack when he’d been asked what colors he’d like for his clothes. Best to slowly work up to those choices. 

“Most of the foundlings will sleep out there with you. Same thing happens in most of the clan compounds. It usually turns into piles of people just cuddling together. These get laid out at night. You can lay it down wherever,” Myles explained quietly. “Do you have a preference for how firm or soft yours should be?” 

Obi-Wan hesitated before shaking his head. Jango furrowed his brow. He remembered the nights he’d spent with Arla after they’d found her. How she’d struggled to get used to how soft her bed roll was at first. Obi-Wan’s experience was a different kind of beast, and he didn’t want to speak over him but…. 

After debating for a moment, he briefly caught Myles’s eye and subtly tapped out F-I-R-M in Dadita. It was a bit of a gamble, but if Obi-Wan didn’t like a firm bedroll, Nire would make sure he got one more suited to him later. Myles inclined his head to show he’d understood the suggestion. He eyed Obi-Wan up and down before searching the messy pile for one that looked to be about the right size. 

Jango turned his attention back to gathering the last few basic necessities the starter bag was missing while Myles showed the younger boy how the bedroll could be unrolled and expanded to make a comfortable sleeping spot. He tilted his head, eyeing the pile of pillows for a moment. He grabbed a decent-sized one before clearing his throat to get their attention. 

“One or two pillows?” he asked Obi-Wan. 

“Just one is fine.” 

Jango nodded, tucking the one he’d grabbed under his arm to carry for now. He couldn’t help but roll his eyes and smile as Myles excitedly tugged the kid over to the pile of blankets that took up the majority of the room. He leaned back, keeping an eye on Obi-Wan’s body language to judge if it was getting to be too much for him. 

This part was at least easy enough. Myles just pointed Obi-Wan at the pile and encouraged him to find one he liked, occasionally joining in pawing through them to search for one or to help the smaller boy reach one. Jango wasn’t too surprised when he eventually emerged from the pile with a simple synthcloth blanket in a neutral shade of gray. He could always come back and get a more colorful one later. Jango purposefully didn’t let himself think too long about whether he’d even had a blanket of his own at all before this. 

Jango nodded at the door. “Alright. One more stop.” 

The room at the end of the hallway was full of clothes with all different colors and patterns. Jango braced himself before they’d even stepped inside. If any of this was going to cause another breakdown, this room was the most likely. He was relieved Myles was here. Jango tried but….he wasn’t the best at helping people handle that kind of thing. 

Sure enough, he noted how Obi-Wan’s eyes were wide and darting around a little wildly at all the folded piles of clothes. He knew Myles saw it too. 

“Alright. Just gotta get you set up with a few new clothes. Maybe something that isn’t quite so big on you.” He was indeed practically swimming in the tunic that the _verde_ must have dug up for him. It had been tied to fit him better, but it was still pretty big. A lot of the stuff they’d find would probably be a bit loose until he wasn’t quite so skinny, but it’d be better than what he had. 

Myles gently guided him over towards the loose casual clothes that were favored by the _Haat’ade_ when they weren’t in _beskar’gam._ Jango hung back, letting him take point there. He grabbed some of the smallclothes and underwear from a pile off to the side and shoved them in the duffel bag, and picked up a pair of boots after eyeballing the ones Obi-Wan already had on. Otherwise, he left them to it.

Myles had taken to giving Obi-Wan a couple different options for color or style at a time. It seemed to be cutting down on the anxiety, having to only choose between a few things at a time. Jango couldn’t help but admire his friend for thinking of doing that. 

Obi-Wan did start to hesitate as they continued to collect clothes, though. 

“I don’t need all this,” he protested eventually. “Isn’t….I don’t want to take too much.” 

Myles looked down at the small armful he was holding. It was enough to last about a tenday. “You won’t be. There’s plenty to go around.” He gestured around the room when Obi-Wan opened his mouth to continue. “Seriously, this is all kept to make sure there’s plenty for anyone that needs it. You can grab as much as you’d like. Besides, if all the talk of glitter and paint outside didn’t tip you off, things tend to get messy around here. You’ll probably need spares,” he joked, trying to ease the tension that was filling Obi-Wan’s frame again. 

He didn’t fully relax, but his jaw unlocked and he exhaled slowly. 

Jango shifted, straightening from where he’d been leaning back against a shelf to watch. He held in a wince when Obi-Wan’s eyes snapped to him before he’d even finished the movement. The kid was still hyperaware and on edge. He’d hoped maybe the time away from the crowd would help settle him, but it clearly hadn’t. 

He nodded at the corner where a long piece of cloth had been hung so it blocked off the area from floor to ceiling. 

“You can try on some of what you’ve got there,” he said, careful to keep it a suggestion. “Make sure it fits the way you want it to.” 

Obi-Wan hesitated, thinking it over for a long moment, before nodding slowly. He reluctantly passed Myles the blanket and bedroll he’d been holding since he’d picked it and accepted the armload of clothes instead. 

“Myles and I are gonna go grab a trunk for you to put all your stuff in. We’ll be back.” He pointedly set down the duffel bag and pillow closer to the middle of the room. Myles followed suit, adding the bedroll and the blanket to the little pile before joining Jango by the door. 

Obi-Wan nodded, eyes still following them. Jango led the way out of the room. Myles let out a breath as soon as the door closed behind them. Jango wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled him closer as they walked. He gently tapped the side of his forehead to Myles’s. 

“You alright?” 

“Yeah,” Myles sighed. “Just….kriff, he’s so on edge still. I keep thinking he’s gonna relax and then he tenses up all over again. He’s gonna crash soon.” 

Jango winced. He knew Myles was right. After all the clashes with _Kyr’tsad,_ they’d both seen enough people stuck in that headspace where they were constantly on lookout for threats to recognize it in Obi-Wan. They could only hope they’d be able to coax him into relaxing enough to stave it off. He remembered Arla having a few meltdowns back in the beginning when they’d just found her. It had never been pretty when she couldn’t be coaxed back from that knife’s edge of hypervigilance and fear. It had taken time and trial and error and more tears than he’d like to admit to, but he and Jaster both had eventually learned how to help her navigate those times.

“We’ll figure it out, _vod._ One way or another.” 

“Yeah. I know. Doesn’t make it any easier to watch, though.” Myles sighed, running a hand through his hair in agitation. “He’s a _kid_ . Barely old enough to have started his _verd’goten,_ and he hasn’t stopped watching for danger since he got here. I thought he’d feel _safer_ in the compound, not…” he trailed off in frustration. 

Jango gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. “He’s still keyed up, but he hasn’t had a breakdown yet. Already going better than some of the other times we’ve done this.” 

Myles grimaced and nodded, opening the door to another storage room. He absentmindedly grabbed the first trunk he saw. Jango automatically fell into step beside him again as they started making their way back down to where they’d left Obi-Wan. 

“Think being around the others will help or hurt?” 

Jango furrowed his brow at his friend. “I don’t know, Myles, you’re better at this kind of thing than me. Could go either way. All the attention was getting to him earlier…” 

They walked in silence the rest of the way back. Myles visibly rallied himself as they reached the door, straightening from his slouch and relaxing his face out of the concerned grimace he’d had on their short jaunt. He rapped his knuckles on the door frame. Jango paused a moment before hitting the button to slide the door open, letting Myles walk in ahead of him. 

Obi-Wan took a moment to emerge from behind the curtain. He’d changed into one of the tan pairs of pants, which came down to about his upper calves. They were looser, not hugging his frame aside from the ends where he’d secured the ties to keep them in place. He’d traded out the under layer of his shirt, but was back in the loose tunic he’d been in before. 

“These were a little small,” he said quietly, holding up a couple of the tunics. Myles set down the trunk and easily reached out to put them back and replace them with bigger sizes in the same cut and color. Eyeing them, Jango was pretty sure they’d be loose and baggy on Obi-Wan’s almost painfully thin frame, but he also suspected that the other teen preferred that. Whatever the case, Jango didn’t comment and neither did Myles.

Myles nudged the box he’d carried in with his foot, drawing Obi-Wan’s attention to it. 

“This is yours. You can use it to store anything that belongs to you, and no one will mess with it without your permission. Or at least, not without facing Nire’s wrath,” he said with a huff. 

“Things tend to be pretty communal in all the homes here,” Jango added. “Anything that isn’t armor or in something like this is kind of considered fair game to use at will. There’s only a few things that are explicitly off limits for someone else to mess with, and it’s boxes like these, and armor. Armor has its own storage space, but anything else you don’t want people to mess with or pick up and use should go in here.” 

Obi-Wan nodded slowly. He kneeled down and started methodically packing the things they collected so far into the trunk. Jango picked up the bedroll, since it was too bulky to fit inside. 

“There’s separate cubbies for these. We’ll show you.” 

“Alright.” He stood up, lifting the trunk as he went. Jango knew it wasn’t that heavy, but he still watched with mild concern. Obi-Wan didn’t have any apparent difficulties, but he was just so skinny. 

“Alright. Let’s get you settled, get all this put away,” Myles said with a smile. 

He and Myles led the way out of the storage room, Jango making a point to make sure they were both easily in his line of sight. As soon as the door closed behind Obi-Wan, there was a crash and yelling coming from the main room, loud enough to hear through the door. Obi-Wan flinched back, shoulders tensing as he grimaced. Jango traded a look with Myles and they came to a silent agreement. Myles turned to Obi-Wan, catching his attention. 

“I’m gonna go…..check on that, see if Nire needs any help wrangling the children. Jango can show you some of the entrances to the evacuation exits,” Myles said. “I can take your box and get it put away so you’re not lugging it around?” 

Obi-Wan hesitated for a moment but nodded, holding it out and letting Myles take it. Jango placed the bedroll on top of the trunk. 

“I’ll show you where I put it when you’re done,” he said with a smile. Obi-Wan gave him a small smile in return. 

The shouting coming from the main room grew louder, punctuated by an outraged roar in Shyriwook. Myles winced and nodded his head back towards the door. 

“I’m gonna…..yeah. I’ll catch up with you in a bit.”

“Good luck,” Jango snickered, prompting an eye roll from his best friend. 

Myles turned on his heel and quickly made his way through the door back to the main room, the noise briefly picking up as the door opened. Jango watched Obi-Wan shrink back from the noise and held in a grimace. Stalling before he had to go back to interact with the other _kirman’ade_ was definitely a good call. 

“Come on,” he said, getting Obi-Wan’s attention. “This is important for you to know.” 

He led them down the other way, taking the door at the other end of the hall to avoid making Obi-Wan walk through the main room. The first of several hidden doors set in the floor was only recognizable because of the slight indentation. Even with his familiarity with the building, it took him a moment to find the switch in the wall to make the false floor retract to reveal the door beneath. Jango kneeled to pull it open and reveal the ladder leading down to the passageways below. 

“These lead to tunnels that’ll take you safely away. If shit ever really hits the fan, you, Nire, the rest of the foundlings, and anyone else in lockdown with you will evacuate through one of these.” He pulled the door closed and watched the covering slide back into place. “There’s a few of these doors throughout the compound. No matter what happens, you’ll always have a way to get to safety. Once they get you in the system, you’ll get access to a map of them and the tunnels they lead to, just in case.”

Obi-Wan stared down at the trap door for a long moment. 

“Why do you have so many defenses around this building?” he asked eventually. 

Jango sighed. “We learned the hard way that they were necessary.”

“Why?” The shorter teen pressed. “What makes them necessary?”

Jango gestured for Obi-Wan to follow him, rolling his words around in his head as he started moving to the next one. 

“Myles told you outside that children are important to us. That we do everything we can to protect them, no matter where they come from. But there’s—” he broke off, struggling to find the words and trying to wrestle the old anger and fear that was filling him under control. “There’s a…. _splinter group._ They don’t— they don’t follow the code of conduct that my _buir_ enforces. Don’t recognize him as _Mand’alor._ We’ve been at war with them since….before Jaster adopted me.” 

He kept his eyes firmly ahead, moving slowly towards the next trap door. _Steady, Jan’ika,_ came Jaster’s voice in his head. _Breathe. Don’t let the hurt control you._ He sucked in a deep breath and forced himself to continue. 

“They don’t follow our code and sometimes they attack civilians. Usually farther away from the capital where there’s fewer _verde_ to fight back. But they’ve attacked Keldabe a couple times. The last time was...about five years ago. Back then, the compound where _kirman’ade_ lived was different. Closer to the compound where _Jas’bu_ and our clan lives. It was a fortress, but it was also obvious. Vulnerable. And _Kyr’tsad,_ the Death Watch, they take kids. To brainwash and train them in their ways.” 

He stopped by the next trapdoor, staring down into it before looking up to meet Obi-Wan’s wide eyes. 

“They blasted their way into the compound and managed to grab a few of the foundlings who’d been holed up inside before retreating. The _ori’ramikade_ — the supercommandos, the best warriors we’ve got —spent months hunting them down to get them back. Busted a whole bunch of kids who’d been held hostage out in the process. When they got back, _buir_ decided we needed to overhaul the _kirman’ade_ compound, build a new one from scratch. Make sure that could never happen again. So”—he gestured around at the building—“they built this. Made _sure_ that everything was as safe as possible. All the _Haat’ade_ came together to help build it, even if only a few know all the systems. This place could survive an air raid without a dent.” 

“How?” Obi-Wan demanded. “No place can escape a big attack like that unscathed!” 

Jango’s lips quirked into a wry grin. “There’s a layer of _beskar_ inside the walls and ceilings. Makes it hard to find the building on radar and dampens its signature. And it also means it’s near indestructible. I’ve never seen true _beskar_ buckle.”

He watched Obi-Wan mouth _beskar,_ staring around the building with a new light in his eyes. Most of the _galaxy_ knew strong _beskar_ was. His eyes were still wide, but it finally wasn’t out of fear. His shoulders had lost most of the tension they’d been carrying since they arrived. He seemed to be looking around with a dawning kind of understanding, actually taking the building in instead of just searching it for threats. 

Jango huffed a quiet sigh of relief. _Finally._ With any luck, this would help the kid settle. 

When Obi-Wan met his eyes again, his eyes were clearer, focused rather than darting around. 

“You said there are other exits?” 

Jango quirked another grin his way. “Come on. I’ll show you the way. Myles will catch up with us at some point.” 

He couldn’t stall forever. Eventually, Obi-Wan would have to go in and deal with the attention being The New Kid brought. Best not to delay it too long, or the more impatient of the _kirman’ade_ might take it upon themselves to hunt them down to get their turn at introductions. 

But for now, he could give Obi-Wan time to decompress a little, settle into his skin, before he faced the masses. 

* * *

**Inside the clinic**

Cassony leaned against the door frame of the small exam room Tolruc had claimed as his workspace. The Nautolan kept scrolling through his datapad for a moment, a mild scowl on his face. Eventually, he exhaled heavily, rubbing at his eyes as he leaned back. He laid the pad down on the small desk he was sitting at. 

_“Su cuy,_ Cassony,” he sighed. “Come for an update on your foundling?” 

She huffed at the poorly-hidden humor that colored his voice, even through the clear exhaustion. When she didn’t immediately deny that Obi-Wan was hers, a small grin spread across Tolruc’s face.

“I’d appreciate that, yes,” she said, in the long-suffering tone of someone who’d already become accustomed to this kind of ribbing. “But I’ve got an update of my own for you.” 

That got the medic’s attention. He eyed her expression for a moment. Whatever he saw in her face, it made him nod and straighten in his chair. 

“His injuries are healing well. Scanners didn’t pick up any nasty surprises that my shipside exam missed. I already commed Nire to let them know to change out the bacta patches regularly until they’re fully healed. Shouldn’t take longer than half a tenday.” 

Cassony nodded, letting out a breath through her nose. “Good. That’s good.” 

“He’ll have scars,” Tolruc warned, expression unhappy. “Some of those burns...they’re too old for me to do much. Shouldn’t impact his mobility much, but…” 

“Yeah.” Cassony grimaced, her fingers digging into the material of her _kute_ between her armor plates. “I figured.”

“Brought up the idea of seeing a _mir’baarur._ He wasn’t too keen on it, but it seemed like he was considering it.” 

“He’s going to need one.” Cassony fully entered the room and collapsed down into a seat across from Tolruc, suddenly exhausted. She scrubbed her hands down her face, trying to settle her thoughts, before meeting Tolruc’s concerned gaze. “There was a _dar’jetii_ involved with running that rig. And he had a kid he was torturing.” She paused again, locking eyes with the medic. “I’m almost certain those burns you found came from a _kad’au.”_

_“Kark,”_ Tolruc muttered, taking a moment to cover his face with his hands. “Yeah, that makes a disturbing amount of sense.” 

He sighed, slouching back into his chair. 

“How quiet does this need to be kept?” 

Cassony grimaced. “Quite a few of the _ori’ramikade_ already know. But I don’t think sharing it around to anyone outside that who doesn’t _absolutely need to know_ will do him any good. Jaster agrees. That should be something he shares when he feels comfortable enough to.” 

“Probably for the best, yeah,” Tolruc huffed. “Has Jaster called a hunt for the _dar’jetii?”_

“It was already in progress. Ved and Rue’s squads have been tailing him since they first encountered him. A few more teams are going to join them, lend them some reinforcements,” she replied. “Tono is taking command of the rest of the squad we took to Bandomeer.” 

Tolruc eyed her shrewdly. 

“Not you?” 

She made a face at the question. 

“I wanted to go, but...Jaster thinks you, Mina, and I can do the most good here, helping Obi-Wan adjust and feel safe.” 

Tolruc hummed consideringly. “He’s right, you know. He’s latched onto you as someone safe. Having you here will help him a lot more directly.” 

“I know, I know,” she sighed. “I already got the spiel. I trust Tono to take over for me. Obi-Wan needs more support than they do. Especially now that we know exactly what sort of _demagolka_ tortured him and put those scars there.” 

Knowing all that didn’t change the fact that a large part of her still ached to join the hunt. Losing her head wouldn’t do anyone any good, but she knew herself well enough to know that she probably wouldn’t be able to fully curb those instincts until they got confirmation that that monster, who’d apparently specifically targeted Obi-Wan with his cruelty, was no longer a threat. They’d known he was traumatized, that someone had to have deliberately given him those burns for them to be so neat. But there’s a difference between some cruel _shabuir_ on the rig getting it into their heads to torture a child like that and a _dar’jetii_ somehow getting his claws on an abandoned _jetii’ad._

The quiet understanding in Tolruc’s eyes would have told her the Nautolan was of a similar mindset, even if the press of his agitation in her mind hadn’t. 

“He’ll be safe here. The _kirman’ade_ compound is a fortress. And you know Nire would die for any one of those kids. Even if he comes for him, he’ll have no chance of laying a hand on Obi-Wan again,” he said, as much to reassure himself as her. 

“I know. We’ll make sure of it.” 

He nodded without comment at the vow in her voice. 

The silence settled for a long moment before Cassony sighed, forcing herself to loosen the tight way she’d been holding herself. 

“Any other news about the timetable for his recovery?” she asked. 

This time it was Tolruc who grimaced. “The malnutrition is going to have lasting effects even after he gets back to a healthy weight. We’re gonna have to monitor his heart for any lasting damage going forward. Not to mention his bones. He’s probably gonna be on supplements to make sure those stay strong for a long time. And those are just the most pressing concerns.” 

Cassony swore quietly. 

“Yeah. The good news is he should be back on regular foods relatively quickly. The most severe effects will disappear pretty quickly, especially since we won’t have to make do with rations.” 

“At least there’s that,” she sighed. It was a small comfort, but knowing he wouldn’t be so underweight for long was good news.

“I have to rework some of his renutrition plan, too,” Tolruc grumbled. _“And_ go digging through our archives to see what I can find on his species. He’s Stewjoni,” he clarified when he saw the look on her face. “There’s enough data in the system to get a baseline of what’s a healthy amount of various nutrients for him, but there’s a lot missing that I’d like to find out ahead of time rather than learn through experience.” 

“What have you found so far?” 

“Not much,” he sighed. “Stewjon is a pretty isolated planet, and it doesn’t look like we’ve had much interaction with them. He’s gonna go through multiple sets of teeth. Should get a full new set coming in in the next couple years, assuming all the other _osik_ doesn’t delay it. He mentioned something about his eyes, too. Best I can tell, he’ll have decent nightvision. Beyond that…” He shrugged, obviously frustrated. 

“I can talk to Jaster about searching through his collection for anything else. I know medical texts aren’t his thing, but there might be something mixed in with all the histories and old literature that could be helpful.” 

“It’s possible. If nothing else, I’ll be monitoring him closely for the next year at least anyway. We might need to look into reaching out to Stewjon to learn more down the line, though.” 

Cassony smiled. “I figured when Jaster said you were being taken off the active mission roster that you were going to be involved in his recovery.” 

“I’m going to be the one supervising it, at least for the time being. We’ll see if he wants to branch out once he feels more comfortable here.” He fixed Cassony with a look. “You mentioned that Mina was staying here, too. I take it she’s on board with this?” 

“I think she already feels protective of him.” Cassony laughed. For all the shit people gave her about picking up strays, Mina was just as prone to latching onto any creature or person in need of protection. “She’s gonna start trying to bond with him, give him more adults he trusts here to help him settle.” 

Tolruc laughed. 

“We told you she’d be enthusiastic about adopting him!” 

She rolled her eyes, smiling. _“Ne’johaa.”[3] _

“Am I wrong?” he challenged. 

“I’m going to kick Tono’s ass for getting you all started on this,” she said, amused in spite of herself. “We still need to talk about it now that they’ve met. But no, you’re not wrong. If he’ll have us, we’ll adopt him.” 

“Good,” the medic said, smiling. “I think you’ll be good for him. Myles seems enthusiastic about him too. Having people who care about him will go a long way.” 

“I hope so,” she sighed. “I hope so.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Mando'a Translations**  
>  1 _Udesii_ \- Calm down, take it easy[return to text]  
> 2 _vaar'ika_ \- pipsqueak, runt; used here affectionately[return to text]  
> 3 _Ne’johaa_ \- Shut up[return to text]
> 
> Once again, thank you so much for sticking with this and waiting. If you missed it, I did work on a [small oneshot](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29418510) set sometime in the nebulous future of this series for a gift exchange if you want to check it out. There's nothing too spoilery in it. 
> 
> Come say hi on [Tumblr](https://fadinglight123.tumblr.com/) or hang out with us on [Discord](https://discord.gg/WZkv5Q9).


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